Lost and Found
by Caley3324
Summary: Sequel to Barriers
1. Chapter 1

1.

*Joe*

"Welcome to Sublevel Two," I told the junior class. I turned and started down the floor, leading them toward the steady spiral of the rooms. "I'd highly recommend paying attention, ladies. First day is the last day you get a guide."

They followed me without question, their footsteps louder than they should have been behind me. Katelyn wouldn't have made that mistake. I felt a pang, as I always did when I thought about Katelyn – the only person I'd ever been able to love without reserve. And now, she was gone.

She would have been a senior this year…

I walked through a large set of double doors and into a large room. A second-story walkway circled the room and old-fashioned wooden tables were arranged in a U-shape across the floor. They all rushed to take seats as I talked. "Covert operations. The clandestine service. It's a life of being where you're not supposed to be – of doing what you're not supposed to do." I gripped the back of the wooden teacher's chair at the front of the room. "It means getting in, ladies. And most important, it means getting out."

I noted the way that Cammie paled.

"Exfiltrations are defined by two factors, Ms. Baxter. Name them."

"They take place in hostile territory," Bex answered quickly.

"Correct," I replied, stepping away from the chair. I wrote her response on the chalkboard. "That's one qualifier of an exfiltration. Ms. Fetterman, what's two?"

"No one ever knows about it." I knew that voice was not Anna's. It was Abby Cameron's. I grit my teeth as I wrote than answer on the board. "You rang, Joe?"

I turned. "Agent Cameron," I said, ignoring her flirting. "So glad you could join us. The junior class…" I waved my hand at the students.

Abby waved two fingers. "Hi, girls."

"…and I were just getting ready to discuss exfiltration operations." I dropped the chalk into the tray and slapped my hands together to get rid of the dust on my fingertips. "Thought you might lend a unique perspective to that topic."

I was, of course, referring to the time when she had messed up an exfiltration operation so badly that she'd been severely reprimanded and I'd been the one that the CIA director had sent in to clean it up. She didn't seem to get that, though. Or, if she did, she hid it well. "Oh, Mr. Solomon," she said with a flirtatious smile. "You do know how to show a girl a good time."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Instead, I watched her walk around the U of desks, scanning the shelves of books.

"As I was saying," I said, gaining the class' attention once more. "Exfiltrations are critical. And they're hard-"

"Especially in Istanbul," Abby added.

I couldn't help but laugh. It was just so ridiculous. She was actually referring to the time she'd screwed up! And I'd thought she hadn't understood what I was hinting at. I clicked out the lights and flipped on the projector. "I'm sure you've all seen this before. What I'm about to show you is a nearly textbook example of a daylight exfiltration in an occupied area." I paused. "Lucky for us, it didn't work."

The video played and it ended right before the bell rang, which was exactly the way I'd planned it. As soon as the classroom emptied, Abby asked, "Are you sure that was smart? Playing that video?"

I shrugged and wiped the board clean.

"Cammie's probably still-"

"Cammie needs to know what's out there," I interrupted, putting the eraser down and turning around to find Abby sitting on my desk, legs crossed. Most people found Abby extremely beautiful, but I couldn't think about that. The only things I could think about were the fact that her hair wasn't quite the right shade and her eyes were green, not blue. She was taller than she should have been and her smile was all wrong – it was too confident and not shy enough.

She wasn't Katelyn.

"Goodbye, Abby," I said as I moved to leave.

She looked confused, obviously not used to being rejected. I didn't care, though. I moved quickly out of the room and to my quarters. Lunch was probably going on, but I didn't care. I wasn't hungry. Images danced before my eyes and I couldn't help but let them. I was lost in my memories.

I saw Katelyn in class that first day; the only one that had been able to answer my questions. I saw her in the woods, fighting off her attacker. I saw her walking in the halls with her friends, laughing easily and smiling. I saw the look in her eyes that first time that she'd offered herself to me. I saw the gray dress that she'd been wearing that night that she'd come to my quarters and had finally given all of herself to me – wholly and completely.

I remembered what her lips had felt like on mine. I remembered her scent – vanilla and jasmine and spearmint. I remembered feeling her soft skin with my hands and how her fingers had tangled in my hair. I remembered her whispers and her gentle touch. I remembered the way she would snuggle against me afterwards. I remembered how her body had felt beneath mine as we moved together and how it had felt when we'd united as one.

And I would never love anyone else. Katelyn was all I ever wanted. She was everything. And she was gone. Taken away by her parents. And though I had searched all summer and come up with a few leads, I still had no clue where to start. All because of Rider. If I ever saw him again… But what were the chances of that? They were just as good as me and they knew how to hide… But I was going to look forever.

With a sigh of defeat, I laid down on my couch and stared up at the ceiling. Then, slowly, I reached into the pocket of my black pants and pulled out her necklace. She had been wearing it the last time she'd been in my quarters, and she hadn't had the chance to grab it after she'd taken her memory modification. I'd found it later that day and I had carried it with me ever since.

And whenever my thoughts turned to her and I felt so alone, I would pull it out and just hold it, silently vowing that I was going to do whatever it took to find her and remind her of everything that she no longer remembered.


	2. Chapter 2

2.

*Katelyn*

I looked at the picture of the notorious drug lord. He was Italian, with olive skin and high cheekbones, black hair and dark, heavy lidded eyes. His name was Antonio Distefano, and it was my job to kill him within the next three months. Yes, I'm an assassin; please don't judge. When you're brought up and trained to do something, it's kind of hard not to lean towards that when choosing a profession. Besides, it's not like I go around killing innocent civilians. I kill the bad guys. I kill the people that the CIA pays me to kill.

And I'm good at it.

"Hey, babe." My boyfriend, Rider, sat beside me and kissed my cheek. "What are you looking at?"

I held up the file. "New target. Just got it this morning."

He looked over it, only glancing at each page for a minute. He didn't need any longer than that. He was an assassin; just like me – we had photographic memories and perfect recall. "Hmm…seems like a hard one. You gonna need some help with this one?"

I shook my head, giving him a smile. Rider always offered his assistance when I got new targets. And I always refused. "Thanks, but no thanks. I'll be fine."

He nodded. "When do you leave?"

"A couple of months," I answered. "Enough time for me to learn everything I need to know. I'll go for surveillance in a few weeks and see if I can't come up with a plan. For now, the CIA is taking satellite photos of his home and work."

"Probably a good idea," he nodded. "Want some help with that? Surveillance, I mean. Not the satellite photos."

"Rider," I laughed. "I can do this myself."

He sighed. "I know you can. And you know I like to protect you."

"And _you_ know that I like to do things myself," I said as I leaned into him, feeling his arms wrap around me.

He smirked. "Now, _that_, I do know." He leaned in and pressed his lips softly to mine and just as I reached up to touch his face, the front door opened and we separated.

"That's the third time this week that I catch you two kissing in my living room," my father said as he came into the room, rolling up the sleeves of his white button down shirt. "Don't make me hurt you, Rider."

"Dad," I rolled my eyes.

He caught sight of the file in my hands. "Got it? Good. Any plans so far?"

"I'll go for surveillance in a few weeks," I replied. "I'll form a plan then."

He nodded. "Probably a good idea. Rider, when's your next mission?"

"A few weeks," he said.

"Right about the time I'll go for surveillance," I added.

Rider gave me a look. "If you'd go earlier, I could go with you."

"I'll do it myself," I said.

My dad laughed. "Just like me. That's my girl. What's your mom making for dinner?"

I shrugged. "Not sure. Smells like fish, though."

He nodded. "I'll go ask. Be good, you two."

As soon as he was out of earshot, Rider took my hands. "Why can't you let me go with you? I promise I won't get in the way. I just want to be there in case something happens."

"I've been on missions without you before," I reminded him. "Besides, you're not always going to have the opportunity to look out for me. I can do this myself."

He sighed. "I know you can. I just want to help."

I smiled kindly at him. "I know you do, believe me. But I want to do this myself."

He sighed. "Fine. You better not get hurt."

I laughed and kissed him quickly. "I'll be fine."

He smiled and pulled me in for a deeper kiss.

Later, sitting around the dinner table, I noticed my dad giving Rider looks every so often. I thought about asking about it, but I figured it was nothing of importance. My mom noticed me looking, though, and said, "Remember that almond cake we had on your birthday?"

"Yeah, Mom," I replied. "My eighteenth birthday was only last week."

She shrugged. "I was thinking about making it again."

"O…kay," I said slowly, looking around the table. No one would look directly at me. My father was glancing at Rider every so often, giving him that look, and Rider was looking at my father, too. My mother was poking at her fish.

"What's going on?" I finally asked.

My father put down his fork and looked at Rider expectantly. My mother did the same, a small smile on her face that looked so similar to mine. Confusedly, I looked at him, too.

"Thanks," he said, directing that statement at my dad. "This isn't how I wanted it."

My dad shrugged, smiling. "Carry on."

Rider sighed dramatically and then looked at me, giving me a smile. "It wasn't supposed to go like this, just so you know. I had it all planned out and it was so much better than this."

"Had what all planned out?" I asked, confused, looking around the table. My parents' expressions gave nothing away, so I looked back at Rider. He exhaled a laugh and got down on one knee, pulling a velvet box out of his pocket.

I knew what that was. I felt a confusing sense of dread. But Rider was my boyfriend…why would my subconscious be trying to tell me not to marry him?

He must have asked the question already, because everyone was looking at me, waiting for an answer. "Yes," I said automatically, forcing a smile and ignoring the feelings of dread inside. "Yes, of course."

Rider pulled me into a kiss as my parents clapped and immediately began making arrangements. I contributed to the conversation whenever I had to, but I still felt strange. And every time that I looked down at the three stone ring on my hand, I couldn't help but feel that it was all wrong.

But I shook my head, cleared those thoughts, and smiled. What could possibly be wrong with marrying Rider?


	3. Chapter 3

3.

*Joe*

I'd cried only once before I met Katelyn. It was when my best friend, Matt, died. Sure, he was about seven years older than me, but we developed a bond that grew into a very strong friendship. And then, we lost him, and I cried that night before I went to tell Rachel.

And then I'd cried when I lost Katelyn and I'd cried twice since. I cried over the summer, when I'd been looking for her under the cover story that I'd been tracking leads on the Circle. I'd been in Paris, tracking a lead, and I'd gotten frustrated because it turned out to be nothing. So, I'd cried.

And then I cried after that first day of class because maybe somewhere inside I'd had the vain hope that she would be waiting in Sublevel Three, ready for whatever life threw at her. Somewhere in my subconscious mind, I had pictured her at a desk, talking and laughing with Leah, her best friend. I could see her smirk when she answered a question right and the way that she would sit up straighter when she knew I was about to ask a question.

But she was really gone.

And I didn't want to be doing this. But, I walked down the hall anyways, carrying a short stack of Winters-McHenry T-shirts for the junior class. I didn't want to be doing security surveillance, but I was going to anyway. Because I was still a teacher and actually, being a teacher at Gallagher gave me access to resources that I could use to try and find Katelyn.

I met the girls at the entrance to Sublevel Two and simply said, "Let's go."

The helicopter ride was short, and I stared out the window the whole time, thinking about Katelyn. I remembered riding in a helicopter with her before, when we'd been on our way to the woods. She'd picked up the tracks so quickly and even though I knew it'd be her that would find it, she still impressed me. And her grace and beauty when she'd been running…

"Security threats come in how many forms, Ms. Alvarez?" I asked because if I didn't ask something to distract myself, I would never be able to pull out of my Katelyn daydreams.

"Five," Eva answered.

"And who can tell me what they are?" I asked. We hadn't covered that chapter yet; I didn't really expect anyone to know all five off the top of their head.

But Bex Baxter answered. "Long range, short range, suicide, static…"

"That's four," I stated.

"Internal," Cammie said softly.

"That's right," I said, glancing at her. "And that's the big one. You're going to see a lot of things today, ladies. Seasoned operatives working in the field with one primary objective. It's not about intel, and it's not about ops. It's about protection today, pure and simple."

I could see all of them trying to work this out in their heads, but none of them tilted their heads slightly to the left and narrowed their eyes like Katelyn would have done. Instead, Bex asked, "What's our mission?"

"It's a hard one," I warned and then forced a smile. They would never know how much I was hurting on the inside. "Just watch. Just listen. Just learn." And then, I handed out comms units. "These are tuned in with the Secret Service frequency. Ladies, I do not want any of you to act today. We'll just take a look at how the pros do it."

And then, the helicopter landed and I smiled at them all. "Good luck."

And then I was gone.

*Katelyn*

I sat outside on a fallen log and looked out across the water. The house was beautiful and I loved the surrounding area, but sometimes I missed Gallagher Academy, my old school. I had left because my parents really needed to move for their job, but sometimes I wished that I could go back. I knew that I had roommates there that I had really liked – Leah and Laura and Alicia. Sometimes I wondered what they were up to. And the professors were really good, too – my favorite being paranoid Mr. Smith.

"Are you okay?" my mom asked form behind me.

I had heard her coming, of course. She may have been good, but I would almost bet money that I was better. After all, she'd had a hand in training me. "Yeah; I'm fine."

"Weddings can be stressful," she said. "We don't have to invite a lot of people." She sat down next to me.

I didn't tell her that it wasn't the wedding that drove me out to the water. It was Rider. I didn't understand why, but I kept having these thoughts that told me not to marry him and it was just really confusing me. I'd known him my whole life and he was a great guy. So why didn't part of me want to marry him?

"Okay," I said. "That'd be good."

She put an arm around my shoulders. "I'm proud of you, Sweetie. I know it can be hard to share your life with someone and I'm proud of you for realizing that Rider's the right person."

_But he's not_. There went my thoughts again, confusing me. I forced a smile and nodded. "Yeah, me too. And I'm glad that you and Dad approve."

She smiled. "Of course we do. And Rider was very sweet about the whole thing; asking your father for permission and getting my help with the ring. You like it, don't you?"

I looked down at my three-stone ring. Actually, what I really wanted was a solitaire, but I didn't tell her that. "Yeah; I love it."

"Good." She patted my arm. "Come on; we need to get the house ready. Rider's parents are coming in later tonight."

I nodded and got up to follow her inside. As I did, I felt the wind blow and I shivered. Something came over me, then. I remembered the scent of cologne…but it was different from Rider's….

Shaking my head, I figured it was probably my dad's and I followed my mom inside.


	4. Chapter 4

4.

*Joe*

"You're sure you have to do this?"

I nodded my head and put another shirt into the bag. "I'll be back for classes on Monday, Rachel."

She continued to lean against the doorframe, her arms crossed and her head tilted to the side, studying me with her green eyes. "I realize that. But can't it wait, Joe? Can't it wait until…I don't know…Thanksgiving holiday? Christmas holidays?"

I shook my head and zipped the bag. "No, Rachel. This can't wait. I told you; it's a lead on the Circle."

Her eyes widened slightly as they always did when I mentioned the Circle that was after her daughter and not Macey McHenry, as everyone believed. "Yes, I know that you've told me. But you haven't told me what the lead is or where it's taking you."

Truth be told: I wasn't actually following a lead. I'd been missing Katelyn more than ever, and I just needed to get away from the place that held all of my memories of her. I was planning on escaping to Italy, where Katelyn and I had always talked about as a possibility of living. Katelyn said that she had loved it there when she'd lived there and that she would love to live there permanently. Or, rather, as permanently as her job would allow. Of course, we'd also talked about Paris and Zurich, but Italy always struck me as her favorite. So, I was going to go there to be alone and meditate on her. Just to get away for a while. "I can't, Rachel. Not until I'm sure it's any good." I sat down on my bed and looked at her, letting off all of my "truth-telling" signs that spies were so good at. "If there's anything leading to the Circle, I'll contact you right away, okay? I promise."

She nodded and pushed off from the doorframe. "Okay. The helicopter is waiting for you out front. Are you sure you won't take any dinner to go?"

Dinner would be starting in around an hour, but I had wanted to leave as soon as classes were over. "No, Rachel. Thanks, though."

She nodded and gave me a small smile. "Sure. And be careful, Joe. Please."

I stood and grabbed my bag, giving her that confident Joe Solomon smile that I had perfected over the years. "I will, Rachel." And I walked out of the room. I managed to get through the mansion without running into any girls, which was a lucky break for me. The last thing I needed were questions.

I told the pilot the destination and he merely nodded before steering the helicopter up and into the sky. I watched as the mansion grew smaller and smaller and then I let the memories take over.

"_Marry me," I said to Katelyn. _

_She smiled at me and ran a finger down my jaw. "Marry you?"_

"_Yeah. You know, certificates and rings and-"_

"_You know that'd be hard," she whispered, something in her eyes that I couldn't really decipher. _

_I didn't like not knowing. "Why?"_

_She shook her head slowly and then forced a smile, leaning in to kiss me. I could have fallen into it and we could have made love again, but I needed to know. I pulled away. "No, Katelyn. Tell me."_

_She sighed and rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. I propped myself up on one elbow to watch her. After a moment, she said, "About a year ago, I found out that my parents had only gotten married because my mom was pregnant with me. They were on a mission together and they were bored and lonely…" She choked up for a moment and then continued. "So they got married and had me. But they don't really believe in the institution of marriage, Joe. They cheat on each other whenever they want; whenever they go on missions and they're bored. They're married, but they're not."_

"_It doesn't have to be like that for us," I replied, kissing her slightly damp temple. "I love you. So much. And I would never cheat on you, Katelyn. I'll never want anyone else. Ever."_

_She looked at me, her blue eyes sparkling with tears. "How can you love someone like me?"_

"_Because you're perfect for me," I told her honestly, lacing our fingers together. She moved towards me and I put my arms around her so that she could fold her body into mine. "We fit," I mused with a smile._

"_Like puzzle pieces," she agreed, kissing my bare chest._

"_Katelyn?"_

"_Hmm?" she asked as she laid her head on my chest and breathed deeply._

"_Think about it. Please."_

"_Think about what?"_

"_Marrying me."_

_She sat up, the sheet fitting tightly to her naked body. She looked into my eyes for a moment, trying to decide on whether or not I was serious. Finally, she allowed herself a smile. "If you still want to marry me after I'm done with Gallagher, then yes, Joe, I'll marry you."_

_I pulled her down and kissed her passionately. "So, do I still have to propose later?"_

"_Yes," she decided with a flirty smile. "At a candlelight vineyard dinner, with a solitaire ring. White gold. Under no circumstances are you to propose to me with a yellow gold ring. I _will_ say no."_

"_What cut?" I asked, smirking at her particularness._

_She pretended to think for a moment. "Hmm…surprise me." Then she leaned down and kissed me. _

But she had been the one to surprise me the next day. Or, rather, her parents had by showing up and forcing her to take a memory modifier and then taking her away from me.

"I still want to marry you, Katelyn," I said softly, staring out at the stars and at the waning crescent moon. "I still want to marry you more than I've ever wanted anything in this world. And I promise you, I'm still looking for you. And when I find you, I'll help you remember."


	5. Chapter 5

5.

*Katelyn*

"Enjoy your stay," the desk clerk said in Italian, flashing me that smile that I've always believed is required for hotel staff and camp counselors.

"Thank you, I'm sure I will," I replied in flawless Italian and then followed the guy that was carting my luggage. My plan was to stay in Italy for a few weeks to do my surveillance and then I would strike out. My job would be finished soon enough. Three months before my deadline.

But that's how I did things. That's how I'd always done things. I knew that I was the best and by my actions, everyone else did, too. The bellhop got the things to my room and I tipped him before shutting the door and checking for bugs, first and foremost. When it was clear that there were no bugs, I chose to change into shorts and a tank top, and begin my surveillance of the immediate area. I wouldn't begin tailing Antonio Distefano for another week.

Right before I left, I checked my reflection in the mirror and just looked for a moment. I was thin, but athletic-looking, and my dark brown hair was curly, but in a ponytail. My makeup was dark, but it accented my blue eyes. I was soft and angelic looking, but so dangerous inside.

I left the hotel and walked outside, loving the perfect weather. I'd always loved Italy, actually. In fact, Rider had even suggested that we go to live there and his parents agreed, saying that it would be a good place to live for our first few years as a married couple. That was the thing about Rider and me, though. We wouldn't be able to live in one place for very long because of our jobs. We'd be apart from each other a lot, too. There would be jobs that would separate us for three or four months, maybe even a year, in some special cases.

Rider.

Thinking about him made my head hurt. Sure, he was a really nice guy and we'd known each other for as long as I could remember, but there was just something off when he kissed me…something not quite right. Whenever he held me, I could feel myself aching for something more, I just didn't know what that might be. What was missing? I asked myself that hundreds of times, but I never could seem to come up with an answer.

Asking my mom about it hadn't worked, either. She just said that sometimes love was like that and then she asked for my help with dinner. No one understood. Everybody just expected me to be the happy bride that I was supposed to be. Everyone expected me to be worrying about wedding colors and dresses and all sorts of other things that I didn't care about. I was the type of person that would rather be shot in the foot than plan a wedding.

Regardless, a wedding I was to plan. And soon.

But it still didn't feel quite right.

*Joe*

The streets were busy but still, I walked along, moving expertly through the people as any pavement artist could do. I remembered a time in Italy when Matt had been tailing someone and even though he'd been practically right behind the guy the entire time, he hadn't noticed Matt tailing him. That was true pavement artistry. And Cammie had it, too.

But I didn't think that anyone could beat Katelyn.

Katelyn. Just that one word could stir up thousands of emotions from inside of me until I felt like curling up in a ball under the covers like I used to do when I was four. The memories that she brought… Sometimes they were so powerful that I could feel her hands in my hair or see her smile right in front of me.

Katelyn Alexandra Hunter.

She hated her middle name, she'd told me once. She hadn't ever given me any explanation as to why. Maybe that sounded too old for her. Or maybe she was just like a lot of other girls that didn't like their names. I made a mental note to ask her about it when I found her.

I was getting a little tired of walking around, so I went into a little restaurant for lunch. I ordered in flawless Italian, much to the surprise of the waiter, and I ate with gusto, realizing that I hadn't eaten dinner the night before or breakfast. After I finished my food, I paid and then walked back out onto the street, which was still fairly crowded. It wasn't overly crowded, though. It was perfect. Actually, it was sort of like a pavement artists' dream. Matt had told me once that Italy was one of his top five favorite places to tail a target on foot.

I stopped at a little fountain and watched as the clear water rained down upon more water, creating a continuous ripple. I felt like that water below; like my life would never calm down enough that I could be still. I watched as other tourists and even some native Italians stopped at the fountain, too. I stood there among them, probably seeming completely normal to any outsider. But I wasn't normal. Not by a long shot.

Finally, I grew tired and I decided that I would go back to my room and do some research on my computer. But, I had barely turned around when something made me freeze. Something inside of me – my spy sense – told me to turn around.

When I did, I saw her. And I knew instantly that it was her. You don't forget the jaw that you've traced with your lips plenty of times before. I would never be able to forget her thin, athletic figure that I'd held close to my own body. And, as a trained operative, I could easily recognize the gait of another trained operative, even though Katelyn looked normal to everyone else.

So I did what any good operative would do.

I followed.


	6. Chapter 6

6.

*Joe*

I just couldn't believe it. I had finally found her. At a time when I hadn't even really been trying. She'd just walked in front of me about a hundred yards away. It didn't get any better than that.

I was happy and lighthearted as I followed along behind her, but then a thought hit me like a truck. She probably didn't remember me. She'd taken a memory modifier and even though her dad had said that certain things might be able to trigger a lost memory, I knew that I couldn't bank on that.

It was possible that Katelyn didn't remember anything about me at all.

So I had to formulate a plan.

I put it into action when Katelyn stopped to tie her shoe. I already had the note prepared, and I made a brush pass that could probably have made it into the world record book. Then, I knew, I would have to wait. So, I went and sat in a nice little coffee shop and ordered a latte to wait.

I didn't have to wait long.

Katelyn came in, did a quick survey inconspicuously, and then went to the counter to order her coffee. As they were making it, I knew that she was examining the people in the coffee shop by using reflections from the display window. And I knew for a fact that she spotted me.

She paid for her coffee and then made her way to my table, her very appearance taking the breath away from me. She wore shorts and a blue tank top, with her hair curly and in a ponytail and her makeup dark. Perhaps most surprising of all were her eyes: I didn't remember them being that blue. But there they were: brighter than anything I'd ever seen. Somehow, though, I managed to keep my face impassive as she approached.

"I got your note," she said quietly as she slipped into the seat opposite me. "Who are you?"

Her official tone wounded me, but I didn't let it show. "A friend."

"Prove it." Her voice was cold and I was actually proud of her for not trusting a stranger. Well, technically I wasn't a stranger (I mean, she'd slept with me before and everything), but still, it counts.

I cleared my throat and it was then that I noticed the engagement ring on her left hand. Three stone, not what she wanted. Still, it was pretty. And it was white gold. "Your name is Katelyn Alexander Hunter."

She didn't move a muscle. "Anyone could get that form a file. Make a point."

I almost smiled. "Ask me anything."

She hesitated, studying me with her gorgeous blue eyes. Finally, she said, "How many people in this café are wearing brown shoes?"

I smiled now. No way could she beat me at my game. "Three."

If she was surprised, she didn't show it. "What level of clearance do you have?"

"Higher than you," I said. "I can promise you that."

"The man that just walked by the window outside…"

"Blue jacket, brown hair?" I questioned. "What about him?"

"Is he right handed or left handed?"

I was having a major sense of déjà vu. "Left."

"How do you know?" she challenged, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. I felt a pang as I realized that she still did her makeup the same. Everything about her looked exactly the same. But things aren't always what they seem.

"The smudge marks on his left hand," I answered. "They come from a left handed person whose hand wipes over the ink trail after it's been written."

"You're good," she noted as she sat back, cradling her coffee between her hands. I zeroed in on the ring and she noticed. "Yeah, I'm engaged."

Something in her tone struck me. "You don't sound thrilled about it."

She blushed and looked down. She never had been very good at lying to me, and somewhere inside, her body remembered that. "I am."

"What's his name?"

"Rider."

It took every single ounce of self discipline that I had to not stand up and begin shaking her to try to bring sense to her. She couldn't marry him! Not the monster that had broken us apart! It was wrong. It was so wrong.

"Oh," I managed to say. "Congratulations."

"Thanks." She sipped her coffee and then looked at me. "Listen, if you're really an operative… what are you here for? A mission?"

I nodded slowly. "Yeah; a research mission. What about you?"

"Sort of the same thing," she responded. "Surveillance on a target."

"Ah," I said. "An assassin mission."

"I'm not a horrible person," she said softly.

"I never said you were."

She looked up at me and gave a small smile. "It's Antonio Distefano."

"The drug lord?"

She nodded. "He's difficult, I hear."

"Do you want some help?" I knew before I even asked that she would say no. Katelyn was so stupidly independent. But I wasn't going to take no for an answer. I was going to protect her and help her.

"No," she shook her head and reached for a packet of sugar. "I'll be fine. I'm just surveilling the immediate area anyway."

"You can never be too careful."

She smiled. "You sound like Rider."

_I'm nothing like that bastard!_ I thought. "Do I?" I managed to say, keeping my voice calm.

She nodded slowly.

"Well, I don't mind," I said. "Really. And I promise, I won't get in your way. It'll just be a learning experience for both of us. You can always learn something from someone else."

"Like what?" Katelyn asked, giving me an amused smile, her beautiful eyes twinkling.

"The 57 on Heinz ketchup bottles represents the number of variants of pickles that the company once had."

She let out a laugh and the sound made my heart soar. "Fine; you're in. I'm Katelyn, by the way."

_I know_. "Joe."

"Nice to meet you," she replied.

_Nice to see you again, love._


	7. Chapter 7

7.

*Joe*

"Target in sight," I muttered softly, sticking my hands casually in the pockets of my jeans.

"It's a building," Katelyn said with a roll of her eyes.

I just smiled and glanced at her once more. She looked beautiful this morning, wearing shorts and a coral colored blouse. Her hair was down and it blew with the breeze, allowing me to smell her shampoo and the floral smell coming off of her skin. Her makeup was well done, too, a gray color that brought out her eyes.

She'd always known how to drive me crazy without trying.

"You want the west or the east?" I asked her.

She shrugged. "East."

"More security cameras," I noted, recalling images of the blueprints Katelyn had given me to study the previous night.

"You do your homework," she noted as she turned slightly to get out of the way of a man walking much to fast down the sidewalk.

"Always."

She sighed and veered away. "See you in half an hour."

I nodded and forced my mind to focus as I weaved through people and around the side of the building. I stopped to tie my shoe once to get an idea of the security camera's sweeping patterns and then I ventured inside. The air was cool and I breathed in relief as I ran a hand through my already messy hair.

I caught a glimpse of myself in a reflective surface and noticed that a couple of women were staring at me and whispering amongst themselves. Of course. I hadn't even picked out really great clothes that morning. I just wore jeans and a simple blue button-up shirt. But women, I had learned, weren't all that picky about clothing choices. They looked at height and eye color and whether or not he had muscles.

Across the room, I could see Katelyn talking to an executive, smiling and probably spinning some magnificent tale. After all, she'd had a good CoveOps teacher; at least, for a year. I had no idea what she'd been learning since. But, I knew that she was still good and so I tried not to worry about her. Instead, I found an executive of my own and he seemed eager to talk to me after my well thought out and well backed up lie.

Finally, my half an hour was up and I said goodbye to the executive as politely as I could. I exited the building, managing to keep my face off of the camera sweep and walked out of the building and back out into the afternoon heat.

Katelyn had picked a meeting place and I headed there at a slow pace, knowing that she probably needed more time. It was her operation, after all, and she would feel the need to be more thorough than I had been. And I would let her because that's the kind of man I am.

*Katelyn*

"Thank you," I told the executive politely in flawless Italian as I flashed him a winning smile. "I'll be in touch."

He nodded. "That would be most appreciated, Ms. Cullen."

Cullen. Of all the names I could have picked, I picked the one off of that vampire book that Stephanie Meyer had written? Why was that the one stuck in my head? But by the time I'd realized what I had said, it was already out there and I just had to run with it.

I exited the building, careful to avoid contact with cameras, and headed for the meeting place. I knew that I was a little bit late, but I liked my knowledge to be extensive and it was, after all, my operation. I had to know everything that I could possibly know. I had to be the best that I could possibly be.

Although, Joe Solomon would definitely be an asset. I'd managed to hack into some of his CIA files and from what I'd seen, he was an extremely experienced field agent who had been on more missions that I figured I would ever have tossed at me. He was one of those living legends that people always whisper about but never realize are right in front of their face.

People brushed past me and I walked steadily along, seeing the building up in the distance. Then, suddenly, a breeze came and it was as if it carried memories right along with it.

_Syrup. _

_I could smell syrup and cinnamon and bacon. Yes, I could hear the bacon frying. _

_I was walking in a room, looking at all of the books on a bookshelf. They had special titles, the kind that you only see if you're in the clandestine services. I paused at one of my favorites and flipped through the pages until I found my favorite quote. I smiled as I read it, and then I slipped the book back onto the shelf where I'd found it._

_I then stepped over a coffee table and headed for what seemed to be the kitchen, where the smell was coming from. I could even hear someone humming… most definitely a guy. That song… It sounded familiar. _

_I watched myself enter the kitchen and say, "Smells delicious."_

The memory faded and I found myself standing in front of the coffee shop where I was supposed to meet Joe. I stared at the glass door and wondered what in the world had just happened. Everything had been fine and then I'd smelled syrup and then all of a sudden…

What was with me lately? First smelling the cologne and now having some kind of weird flashback because I smelled syrup? But how could that be a flashback when I had no idea where I was in that memory. I had no idea why I couldn't remember it. I had no idea why it was so powerful to make me oblivious to everything else.

And I definitely had no idea why I felt this strange, aching need somewhere deep down inside of me. 


	8. Chapter 8

8.

*Joe*

When I woke up and realized that it was Sunday, I grew depressed almost instantly. I had finally found Katelyn after so long and I had to leave after just a day with her. We hadn't even really gotten to talk all that much, aside from basic stuff about surveillance and things she'd learned about me from the parts of my file that she'd managed to hack into.

The good thing, I suppose, is that she was impressed by me. She had told me so. We'd been in the coffee shop after surveillance and we'd just finished exchanging information, which she had written neatly in a small black and white composition notebook.

"_You know," she'd said, "I hacked into the CIA files to check you out."_

_I had known that she would, of course. She had no idea how well I knew her. "How long did it take you to break through their first firewall?"_

_I recognized the look on her face well. Annoyance. "An hour. And then the second firewall took me half an hour. And the final one took me two hours."_

"_You must have been determined," I commented and took a sip of my coffee._

"_I'm always determined," she said. "Anyway, I'm impressed."_

"_By?"_

"_You," she said simply. "Did you really take out twelve arms dealers at once?"_

"_Yes."_

_She leaned forward slightly, resting her arms on the table. "And three of them were skilled martial artists?"_

"_Not as skilled as I was."_

_She smiled. "I gathered. You have a pretty impressive record, by the way."_

"_Thanks."_

"_What I could see of it, anyway," she added. "I didn't feel like breaking through any firewalls."_

"_I think you saw all you needed to."_

_She raised an eyebrow. "Did I?"_

I folded a shirt and put it away before grabbing my suitcase and heading out of my hotel room. I wasn't going to get to see Katelyn before I left and I had no idea if I would ever get to see her again. Part of me hated that and wanted to stay in Italy forever and ever until she remembered.

Another part of me felt peaceful from the visit. From getting to see her and realizing that she was okay. Sure, she was with that ass Rider now, but at least he seemed to be taking pretty good care of her. She seemed happy enough.

And if she was happy, who was I to break that up?

"Joe!"

I turned to see Katelyn jogging towards me, wearing black running shorts and a red T-shirt, her ponytail of dark brown hair flying as she ran.

"Katelyn," I said softly, my heart stilling. I could hear the blades of the helicopter whirring behind me, but I paid them no mind as Katelyn stopped a few feet away from me.

"I just wanted to say goodbye," she said sheepishly, looking down at her Nike Shox, then back up at me. "And thanks."

"You're welcome."

"You can come back," she said. "Anytime. I could…use your help."

I smiled kindly at her. I knew how hard admitting that she liked my help was for her. She was just so naturally independent. "Maybe I will."

"How will we-"

I held out a small card that I'd prepared just in case. As a spy, you learned how to prepare for everything. And part of me had been hoping that she would come to say goodbye. I had been hoping that I would get to see her again before I left.

She took it and smiled as she read over it. But by the time she looked back up, I was already in the helicopter and ascending into the air. I would have stayed and talked, but I'm Joe Solomon and I have to continue to seem much more mysterious than I actually am.

Don't women find that hot?

*Katelyn*

Maybe it sounds really weird, but I honestly didn't want him to go. Something about his company had felt so right and he _was_ an experienced agent and all. He could be a lot of help.

I looked back down at the small business card. It didn't have the name of any type of company on it. In fact, it appeared that it had once been just a blank card until someone had written: _In case you ever need me. – Joe_ and a way to send a message.

Part of me wondered why he was being so nice to me, but I liked it. He seemed like a really nice guy and I just felt so right around him… Like I could be myself and not feel weird about it.

Sighing, I ran back to my hotel room and took a shower before I got ready to leave. I pulled my hair into an intricate messy bun and pulled on shorts and a T-shirt before I headed out of my room, intent on putting all of my surveillance together to find blind spots so that I could formulate Plan B. After all, operatives have to be prepared for anything and everything. I already had Plans C and D formed.

Altogether, surveillance took about two hours, which I couldn't help but think would have taken a lot less time if a) Joe had been there to help and b) I could have stopped thinking about him for an extended period of time.

It was actually quite ridiculous how much he was on my mind. I couldn't stop thinking about his messy blond hair and the way that he had looked at me with those startling green eyes… as if he could see right through me…

I sighed and headed back to the hotel room, finding myself wondering where it was Joe had flown off to. Maybe he was off to a mission or to CIA headquarters. Maybe he was on his way to a secret meeting or to a black bag job. But, wherever Joe Solomon was, my thoughts couldn't stay very far away.

I wondered if he could feel them.


	9. Chapter 9

9.

I felt a little ridiculous in the disguise, but I knew that the girls would never even remember it after I had taken it off and revealed myself. I wore a maintenance department uniform with thick glasses and I had made myself look older, forcing my left hand to stick out at an odd angle and giving myself a slight limp. My nametag said "Art". It was the shortest name I could come up with at the time aside from "Joe". And "Joe" would be a little obvious.

I limped slowly into the room. "You're the juniors?"

The junior class whirled around and stared at me the way you would look at someone you don't know. They were trying to figure me out. And I have to say, I was a little disappointed when no one figured it out. Katelyn would have.

I felt a pang at her name and I forced myself to think of the task at hand.

Teaching.

"Solomon said you were the juniors," I said, using my own name as if I really were someone else.

"Yes, sir," Mick Morrison, a beefy sort of kid that loved fighting, said. I was proud of her for that because even if I wasn't Joe Solomon and I really _was_ a member of the maintenance department, I would still merit respect. At Gallagher Academy, and everywhere else in the spy world, things are more than they appear. And also, to work on the maintenance staff at Gallagher, you have to have earned your time in the field.

I turned and headed out the door, knowing that they weren't following me. I stopped and called over my shoulder, "Well? Are you coming or aren't ya?" I had given myself a Southern accent for the occasion and I kind of liked it.

The juniors followed me, their footsteps sounding against the floor. No one said anything – which is always surprising when you're dealing with a group of girls – but I could see them glancing around at each other, wondering what was going on. I heard Tina begin to whisper to Eva Alvarez and I said, "Walters!" in a sharp voice.

We passed rooms and continued to climb higher towards our destination. We neared the top and they began to head towards the elevators. "Ladies!" Always anticipate, never commit. Katelyn had probably known that since she was three.

_Stop thinking about her_.

We went through the enormous door.

"It's a _closet_," Eva Alvarez said, awed.

"And it's…_huge_," Tina threw in.

I saw them all gaping in wonder at the racks and racks of clothes and the assortments or fake noses and the huge mirrors. Eva reached for the switch and the lights around the mirrors came on.

Time for my debut.

"Ladies." I stopped forcing my left arm to stick out and I reached up to toss away the glasses. I kicked off my right shoe, picked it up, and shook a small pebble out into my hand. And then I put the shoe back on as I stood straight and tall. Finally, I pulled off the gray wig and dropped it onto a shelf.

Tina gasped. Anna stumbled. And I was the only one smiling. I swept my arms wide around the closet. "Small changes. Big differences."

*Katelyn*

I looked out the window and saw that it was rainy outside. I couldn't help but smile; I had always loved the rain. When I was littler, Rider and I would go outside in the rain and dance and run and just play around as the water fell on top of us.

I loved the color that the sky got and the feel of the floor as the thunder shook it. I loved to watch the lightning and the way it lit up the entire sky for only a moment before the brilliance faded. I loved the sound that rain made on the roof or the pavement or the fabric of a jacket. Basically, I just loved thunderstorms.

But, I knew that it would somewhat be a hindrance on surveillance. I began to wonder what Joe would suggest doing, but then I shook the thought out of my head and moved to get ready. I saw no reason to take a shower since I would probably get soaked form the rain anyway, so I just pulled on jeans, a T-shirt, and a rain coat. I pulled my hair into a messy bun and decided against any kind of makeup. I wouldn't be needing it.

Finally, I left my room and walked out of the hotel, realizing that surveillance would be a lot different because not a lot of people were walking the streets. Not as many people liked rain as much as they liked staying warm and dry somewhere.

Not me, though. I smiled as I walked down the street and headed for the coffee shop to grab myself some caffeine. After I'd paid, I sat at a table and drank it where it was dry before I moved back out into the rain and towards the building.

Strangely enough, my thoughts wandered to Joe. I wondered if he liked the rain or if he got annoyed because it kind of messed up surveillance. He hadn't really struck me as the type to get angry or easily annoyed…

_Stop it_. I told myself sternly. _What would your fiancée say if he knew you were thinking a lot about some guy that you barely even know?_

But something inside of me just felt like I'd known him a lot longer. I mean, the way that he looked at me…

"Ms. Cullen?" a man asked.

I was confused and then I remembered. "Oh, yes. You're the executive that helped me."

He smiled and moved closer to cover me with his umbrella. "Are you lost, ma'am?"

"Yes," I faked easily. "Could you direct me to the nearest restaurant?"

"I'll be happy to accompany you there."

"Great," I smiled and inwardly cursed myself. I'd been so preoccupied with thoughts of Joe that I had almost blown my cover. I decided to send him a message to come back to Italy, just so I would be able to focus.


	10. Chapter 10

10.

*Joe*

I dug into the waffle and sighed before putting the bite into my mouth. My thoughts had all been on Katelyn and it was a distraction. I couldn't really help it, though. After seeing her again after missing her so much, I just couldn't help but think about what she was doing every few seconds. I wondered what surveillance she'd gotten done in a day or if she was even still in Italy.

"Joe?"

I turned my head to see Mr. Mosckowitz holding out a plain, white envelope. Adrenaline coursed through me as I forced myself to not lunge out of my seat to grab it. _It might not even be from her._ "Thanks," I told him as I took it and opened it as slowly as possible. After all, lots of heads would probably turn in my direction if people heard me tearing apart an envelope to get to the contents.

The contents turned out to be a single sheet of paper, the kind you would get from a college ruled notebook. The writing was in Italian, and it was also a kind of anagram that I worked out within my brain. _Come back to Italy. Meet where we did before. I'll be waiting on Friday night at seven. – Katelyn. _

Holding back a grin, I dug into my waffle with more gusto than before.

The following day, Friday, the day seemed to creep by slower than normal. Several times, I could have almost sworn that the clock had actually stopped ticking. Finally, though, the last class left and I gathered up my bags to go meet the helicopter.

Rachel thought that I was going to another Circle-related operation, which made me feel a little bad for lying to her about something so serious. But, I consoled myself with the fact that spies lie. It's just part of the job description.

The flight was short thanks to the newly engineered helicopters and the whole time, I just stared out into the impending night, smiling. I wondered what Katelyn would say to me, how we would interact. I wondered if being with me had already begun to trigger memories and I wondered how long it would be until she remembered everything. Our late nights together; our kisses and our joined bodies. The way that we had fit together and the night that she had agreed to marry me.

I arrived in Italy, checked into my hotel, and then set off for the coffee shop, my body tingling. I was still Joe Solomon, though, and I instinctively checked for tails before assuring myself that it was safe to go inside.

Katelyn was sitting in a little corner, a cup of steaming coffee in front of her. Her hair was intricately French braided, with a few wisps framing her heart-shaped face. She wore a yellow button-up shirt along with jean shorts, and I noticed that her ring was still in place. A minor setback.

I bought my coffee and then approached her table.

She looked up and smiled a little sheepishly at me. "Sorry for calling you away from whatever it is you were doing."

I shrugged. "Don't be sorry; it's okay."

She blushed slightly. "I just…wanted to see you again. Does that sound creepy?"

Actually, she had just made my day. "No," I replied in a neutral voice, giving her a warming smile. "That doesn't sound creepy at all."

She smiled. "So, what do you think of helping me surveil Antonio's house tomorrow?"

I took a drink of my coffee and then flashed her a grin. "I think I'm in."

*Katelyn*

I got up on Saturday morning and took a quick shower, allowing the heated water to aid in waking me up. After my shower, I pulled on jeans and a blue blouse, allowing my hair to scrunch and then I applied light makeup. I pulled on black TOMs just as I was heading out the door and then I walked to the meeting point to meet Joe.

When I arrived, I found that my breath caught when I saw him, his hair still damp from a shower. He wore jeans and a navy polo, and he was cleanly shaven. Attractive.

I shook the thought out of my head and approached him with a smile. "Hey."

"Hey." He held out one of the cups in his hands. "Decaf. That okay? I always find that decaf works better for surveillance in the morning."

I nodded and took the cup. "Thanks. I'll pay you back."

He waved it away. "It's just coffee. So, what now, boss?"

I smiled as I took a sip of the coffee. "Follow me, sir."

He chuckled and walked with me down the sidewalk. "Have you done any work on this at all?"

I nodded and moved out of the way of a small crowd of women. "Yeah," I told him when we were walking side by side once again. "I just want to run my plan by you; see what you think. Maybe you'll have some suggestions. It never hurts to have a second opinion if the person you're asking has more experience than you do."

He nodded slowly. "So what is your plan?"

I explained it to him in detail and he listened intently, asking a question every now and then for clarity. Finally, when I was finished, he smiled at me. "That's a well thought out plan. I really like it."

"Really?"

He nodded. "It's smart."

"Thank you. I should be able to have it done pretty soon. What I need now, though, is just a final look at the house. I'll begin tailing Antonio himself tomorrow."

"I have to leave tomorrow," he said conversationally.

I found that I was a little disappointed at that news. "Oh; I see."

"Is this the house?"

"No," I shook my head. "It's the one at the end. Come on; we'll go the back way. Easier to avoid cameras."

He gestured for me to lead the way so I stepped in front of him. As I did so, I caught a whiff of cologne that I could swear I had smelled before…

_It's probably nothing._

But another part of my brain said that it was definitely _something_.


	11. Chapter 11

11.

*Joe*

I rolled over in my bed and looked at the red digital numbers on the alarm clock in my hotel room. 3:15 a.m. I knew that I should have been sleeping, but I simply couldn't. I had only been able to sleep for a couple of hours, and even then, my dreams had been of Katelyn. She was impossible to not think about and I found myself always lost in thoughts of her. I would catch myself thinking of the exact color of her eyes or the way she swung her arms when she walked. I would find myself thinking about the way she stirred her coffee or her laugh. Mostly, though, I would just remember things. And those memories somehow kept me going.

I remembered her in class that day, unswayable and strong. I remembered watching her in P&E one day and being blown away by her sheer power. I remembered that day in the woods when she'd run towards her goal as if her life depended on it – because maybe someday, it would. I remembered watching her as she sat at the breakfast table with her friends, laughing and talking. I remembered the way that she'd accepted the challenges in my class as if they were nothing, always making a molehill out of a mountain.

"Katelyn," I sighed as her name fell from my lips naturally. With another sigh, I got out of bed and headed for the bathroom. I got in, even though the water was cold, and my muscles relaxed as the water turned warm. I stayed in the shower for a long time, until I finally decided that it was time to get ready to go home. I wrapped a towel around myself and then went out into the main part of my room to pack everything away. As I did so, I couldn't help but think how much I'd love to stay behind in Italy with Katelyn. Helping her with surveillance and her targets. Spending time with her in a coffee shop. Just talking to her and watching the way her eyes lit up when she smiled.

But I knew that I couldn't push her into anything. If she was going to remember, then she was going to remember. On her own time. Memories are a tricky thing and I knew better than to play with them. No matter how desperately I needed Katelyn to remember me, I wasn't going to press it.

I finished packing and grabbed my bags, ready to head to the landing strip where the helicopter would be waiting. I promised myself that I would come back. I would be able to find Katelyn again. She would want me to. After all, she had called me back to Italy, right? She liked spending time with me. Everything was going good and I told myself that it would continue to go good as long as I went with the flow.

And that was my comforting thought as I headed for the landing strip.

*Katelyn*

I spotted Joe heading for the helicopter and I approached him, holding the two cups of coffee that I had bought that morning. He smiled and raised a hand in greeting when he saw me. "Hey, Katelyn."

"Hey," I replied, holding out a cup. "For you."

He grinned as he took it. "Let me guess: payback?"

I laughed and pulled at the hem of my red T-shirt. "Yep."

He took a sip and then thought for a moment. "Let's see…three creams, four sugars. You're good."

I smiled. "One of the best. Or, so I've been told."

A slight wind began as the blades of the helicopter began rotating. Overhead, birds flew in a sloppy formation and the sky was that pink that it got when the sun was about to rise and shed light on the world.

"Any plans for the day?" Joe asked conversationally.

"Not really. Need some help with those bags?" I asked, gesturing. He had set one bag down so that he would be able to take the cup of coffee that I'd offered to him.

"Sure," he shrugged. "If you don't mind."

"I don't," I replied and grabbed the bag.

We hefted them into the back of the helicopter and then Joe faced me, still smiling. "Thanks for asking me for help. It makes me feel useful."

"I'm sure the CIA finds you plenty useful," I replied with a laugh.

He shrugged. "Every now and then."

I rolled my eyes. "So what are your plans, now?"

He leaned against the helicopter. "I'll wait around. Do a little bit of work. Try to make myself useful."

My straightened hair was blowing in my face, but I managed to turn slightly so that I'd be at an angle where it wouldn't be so bad. I had finally figured out a way to exit a helicopter without messing up hair, so I applied that strategy.

"You know," Joe said. "If you need anymore help, feel free to let me know. I don't mind. This has actually been kind of…fun."

I blushed as I said, "It's been fun for me, too. And I want you to come back."

"Why's that?" he asked curiously.

"Because…" I blushed more profusely and looked down at my flats.

"Let me see if I can fill in the blanks," he said and suddenly, his arms slid around me and he pulled me into a kiss. Instantly, I was filled with this sense of joy and my lips moved with his easily in this sweet, intoxicating and slow kiss. His cologne was making my head swim and I had flashes of lost memories, coming and going in my mind like a scratched DVD.

And I had the strangest sense of familiarity….

When he pulled away, I looked into his bright green eyes and whispered, "Have I kissed you before?"

He touched my cheek gently. "The question is: Do you want to kiss me again?"

"Yes," I found myself whispering.

And then he pulled me back into his arms for another sweet kiss.


	12. Chapter 12

12.

*Katelyn*

The memories came while I was sleeping that night that Joe had left. I knew that they weren't dreams because no dream that I had ever had before was so vivid.

_He was kissing me, one hand tangled in my curled hair and the other on my hip, holding me close to him. Both of my arms were around his neck and I was kissing him back. Slowly, he moved his hands up to remove my shirt and I let him, eagerly working the buttons of his shirt in return. _

_Another flash and I was lying beside him, my body folded into his. He was warm and I nuzzled into his shoulder, where I could smell his cologne lingering on his smooth skin. He kissed the top of my head. "I love you so much." And I smiled and looked up at him to place a kiss on his lips. "I love you, too, Joe."_

_And then suddenly I was fixing his hand, which appeared to have multiple cuts and fragments of glass in it. I was bandaging it and he was talking about some guy named Grant… And then I was apologizing and before I knew it, he was sweeping me up into a kiss. _

_Then we were outside somewhere and he was handing me his jacket. _

_He was escorting me out of the woods one day, his arm around my shoulders as he guided me expertly through the trees and into a clearing where a helicopter and a few other girls were waiting._

"_I love you," I was telling him suddenly as I was lying next to him. The sheets were draped over us and underneath them, I was wrapped tightly in his strong arms. He was smiling easily and he kissed my temple before saying, "I love you, too." _

_I was sitting in a room, behind a desk, and he was talking at the front of the room. I wished that I could have seen my surroundings, but it seemed like I was only focused on him and what he was doing, which seemed to just be talking. He asked a question and a voice I didn't recognize answered. He asked another question and this time, I answered. _

_Another flash and I was walking quickly through a city that I quickly recognized as New York City. I got into a cab and gave it an address, where I knew that I planned to walk to my real destination. And I knew that Joe would be there, waiting._

_I saw Joe walking into a room, his hair damp from a shower. He wore a white shirt, black pants, and black shoes, along with a watch on his wrist. He moved quickly to the front of the room and began to talk in Japanese, asking a series of question that covered tactics. _

_Another flash and I saw Joe and I exchange a worried glance in front of some girl with dark brown hair that I didn't recognize. Then, we followed her out of a room that I didn't recognize and into a large hallway. We walked for a while through the hallways of a large house that I didn't recognize and then stopped in front of a door, which the girl then opened. _

I woke with a start, sitting up in bed so fast that my head spun. My forehead and neck were wet with sweat from tossing and turning in my sleep and I glanced at the clock to get a bearing on the time. 2:32 a.m. I knew that I should go right back to sleep. Surveillance is extremely hard when you don't get a good night's sleep and all, but I just couldn't force myself to lie back down and try to go to sleep. I even had sleeping pills in my bag, but I simply didn't want to use them.

The water was warm as I stepped into the shower. I let it run over me at first, just not moving from under the spray. When I was well enough awake, I washed my hair and then my body, taking my time under the running water. Finally, I turned off the water and stepped out of the shower and into the steam-filled room.

I wiped away the steam from a section of the mirror to stare at my reflection before the steam filled it back up. My dark hair was straight and slick with water, the ends dripping water onto the tile floor. My eyes were bright, but just a little glazed over with the memories my mind was still turning around and around in my head.

_I saw Joe lying beside me, stroking my hair. He leaned forward to kiss my forehead, my eyelids, my cheeks, my nose, and finally my lips. I smiled and captured his lips once more before lying back against the pillows, satisfied. _

"_Marry me."_

That hadn't been Rider's voice. I shook my head to clear the thoughts and looked down at the three-stone ring on my left hand. I forced my thoughts to turn to Rider and the wedding that was to come. Still, though, I had a strange feeling in my stomach.

I blow dried my hair only to pull it into a messy bun and pull on sweats and a T-shirt. I thought about going to the coffee shop across the street, but then I decided that the last thing I needed at three in the morning was coffee.

I decided to have some right before I spent another day tailing Antonio. In the meantime, though, I planned to sort through those memories that I'd had and see what the heck was going on. Why did I have a huge black hole in my memory in the first place? And why did all of those memories involve Joe? How big a part had he played in my life? And why could I remember most things from my life except for that short period where the memories were coming from?

_What's going on?_


	13. Chapter 13

13.

*Joe*

I watched as the sophomore girls took the pop quiz over the video that we had just finished watching. I noticed one girl in the back mark the wrong answer on number ten and I inwardly cringed. Sometimes I just didn't understand how some people – especially spies – couldn't watch an hour long video and not remember just one little detail about it.

It never ceased to amaze me.

After five minutes, I said, "Pencils down," and watched as a sophomore girl in the front, with blond, French braided hair, jumped at the sound of my voice in the silence. I resisted the urge to sigh. These girls were such amateurs. They all had a lot to learn about CoveOps, and I knew I had my work cut out for me as their teacher.

I took up all of the quizzes, already noting some incorrect answers, and then said, "Dismissed. For homework tonight, read chapters three through five and expect a pop quiz tomorrow."

They left and I put the stack of papers on my desk before going through them quickly, marking the wrong answers with a black pen. I got through the stack fairly quickly and had just finished when the senior class – Katelyn's class, if she were still at Gallagher – came in. Laura and Alicia – Katelyn's old roommates – took their usual seats, chattering about some boy band I didn't know. I wondered what they thought about Katelyn leaving. Of course, they didn't know the true story. They'd been told that Katelyn was being accepted into an accelerated CIA program. That's what everyone had been told. And everyone believed it.

Except for Leah, Katelyn's best friend. She came in with her head bowed slightly, quiet as she always was these days. I watched as she approached me in her slightly wrinkled uniform, her hair pulled back away from her face and secured with a gold clip. She wore no makeup; I noticed when she looked up at me. Not that it mattered, she wasn't ugly. I was just used to girls always wearing makeup around me. "Can I help you, Leah?"

She gave me a small smile. "Yeah, I have a letter to give you. You weren't at breakfast this morning, so Mr. Mosckowitz asked me to give it to you. Here you go."

A plain white envelope.

Katelyn.

My heart beat faster but I kept my face composed as I reached for it. "Thank you so much. How are you holding up?"

She shrugged. "You know."

"Yeah," I said softly. "I do."

It was all I could do not to open the envelope right there, but I set it on the corner of my desk and paced the room, lecturing. After what seemed like forever instead of just an hour and a half, the bell rang and the students began to file out, more slowly than usual, it seemed. Finally, though, they were all out and I went to the envelope and had it open within two seconds. On it, in Katelyn's handwriting, was another anagram; this time, with Greek symbols.

_Meet me back in Italy._

*Katelyn*

I pulled on a light blue sweater along with my jeans and then pulled on shoes. I pulled my hair into a low ponytail as I shut the door of my hotel room behind me, and I headed for the fountain. I don't know why I had to go there, but I did.

It only took me three minutes to reach it, and I stood at the edge of its stone base, watching the water from the top hit the water below, sending out ripples. The sound was soothing, too, almost like rain. I could feel the cool air from the water hitting me in the face, too, and I breathed in the scent of the square.

People were bustling around and I ignored them, waiting.

After only a few minutes, I felt him. He walked up behind me and then stood right beside me, the scent of his cologne wafting towards me. "You rang?" he asked in that deep voice of his and I looked over to see that he looked the same, too. Cleanly shaven, hair messy, dressed in jeans and a button-up shirt.

"Yeah, I did," I said, turning slightly to angle towards him. "I need you to tell me."

He was staring at the water. "Tell you what?"

"About us."

He didn't look surprised. Maybe he had known that this was coming. Or maybe, he was just a good operative. "What have you figured out, thus far?"

"Just memories here and there," I said softly, looking once more at the water. Two birds were on top of the statues and they hopped around as if they had all the energy in the world. Funny; all my energy felt zapped away like my strength after a rigorous martial arts session.

"Like what?"

"I just saw us," I answered simply. "Us; together. I want to know what's going on. I want to know why it felt so familiar when you kissed me. I want to know why there's a huge hole in my memory and why I didn't realize that there was until now. I want to know everything that you can tell me."

There was a silence that stretched on for about a minute. And then, he said, "Not here. Come back with me to my hotel."

I gave a brief nod and then he was leading me away, his warm, strong hand in mine. His hotel was farther away than mine, but we still made it there in less than five minutes. His room was neater than mine, but I didn't care as I sat down on the bed and looked at him. I watched as he did a quick sweep of the room for bugs and then sat in the chair provided by the small table beside the bed. He looked at me, then, a look full of every emotion you could think of.

"Tell me," I whispered.

And that's all it took for him to begin talking.


	14. Chapter 14

14.

*Katelyn*

I began to remember everything, bit by bit. When he mentioned my attendance at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, I remembered stone walls and secret passageways that I would disappear inside. I remembered my friends and my roommates, Leah, Alicia, and Laura. I remembered late nights studying for COW tests and tea during Culture and Assimilation. I remembered P&E workouts and I even began to remember Mr. Solomon's class, even though I never had before. And I could practically smell the freshly mown grass and waffles that wafted up the stairs on Monday mornings. Gallagher Academy had been my home away from home.

Joe told me about Leah and I remembered her well; her deep eyes that always seemed curious and her thin hair and pale skin. I remembered all of the times that she had stayed up talking with me and studying with me, and how she had always been my partner on group assignments. I remembered that her bed was the one directly across from me and Alicia's bed was the one right beside me. I could remember Leah talking to me about Mr. Solomon in some secret passageway, away from eavesdroppers. I remembered the concerned look that she had given me and her warnings to be careful.

When Joe mentioned our first kiss, I had a flashback to that moment, feeling all of the emotions that I had been feeling that day. I could practically feel his lips on mine that first time, taste their sweetness. I could smell his cologne and fell the fabric of the white shirt he'd been wearing that day. I remembered how his arms had wrapped around me and how mine had wrapped around him. I remembered that I'd been happy in that moment. My mind had screamed at me that I was doing the right thing. That it was right to feel something for him.

I remembered my first time with him, which had been after a rough moment involving Grant, a guy my age that I could vaguely remember as a cocky, sort of good looking boy assassin. I remembered taping Joe's hand and then telling him that I loved him and hearing him say it in return. Those words coming from his lips… They had sounded so amazing to me in that moment. I remembered his promise to be gentle and I remembered that he had kept that promise well. His whispered words from that night filled my ears and I could practically feel his hands moving down my body, smooth and steady. I remembered that one moment when we had finally become one.

And then he told me about our little fight and I could remember that, too. I remembered going to talk to Grant and then deciding that I was going to go talk to Joe. Joe had been the one person that had broken through all of my barriers and shown me that it was okay to be myself. That it was okay to feel emotions.

I remembered offering myself to him that last night, finally offering everything that I had. And I remembered that night in vivid detail; every look, every kiss, every touch. I remembered how exhausted my body had been afterwards, each time, but I could also remember how rewarding it had felt. How he filled me and made me feel whole. Like a part of me had been missing until he'd come along. I could feel my love for him all over again; the love that was so strong that it could knock the breath out of me unexpectedly.

"It was Rider," I whispered softly when he'd finished telling me. Outside, the sun was high in the sky. He had talked for nearly three hours. "I remember now. Rider showed up with my parents…" I looked at him to find him watching me. "But I don't remember much else…"

"He didn't want us together," Joe said and leaned back in the chair. "He wanted you for himself. So your father – who agreed with him – made you take a memory modifier."

"Made me?" I questioned.

Joe shrugged. "More or less. He threatened to make our lives miserable if you defied him. And you decided to be noble and protect me, so… Here we are."

"Why can I remember now?"

He leaned forward and rested his forearms on his knees. "Your father said something about the possibility of memories being triggered. I guess they just were when I told you everything."

I nodded slowly and sighed as I stood up, stretching my muscles that had grown sore form sitting too long. My knee popped and I winced slightly. "So, Rider broke us apart… He's so horrible. And he's a member of this Circle organization? I've never heard of them."

"That's strange," Joe admitted. "Because they wanted you not too long ago."

"I'll keep an eye out," I muttered as I went to the window and looked outside, watching the people on the sidewalks below. They had no idea that my life had been shaken up. Theirs were going on as normal. Lucky.

"Katelyn, are you okay?"

The concern in his voice sounded so familiar and it warmed my heart. "I don't know. I just found out that the guy that I'm engaged to broke up my last relationship in which I was in love with you and… I just don't know. I'm…confused."

"I understand."

I let out a small breath. "Joe?"

"Yeah?" I could see his reflection in the window, blurry, but still there. He was standing a few feet behind me, hands in his pockets and looking ready to take on the world.

I turned around so that I could see him better; this man that I had loved. This man that I felt like I was beginning to love again. "I don't…" I paused and took a breath. "I don't feel like doing surveillance today. I'm so tired…"

He nodded. "You should lie down. If you don't feel like going back to your room, you can stay here."

I looked at the inviting bed and nodded. And then, I looked back up into his bright green eyes and whispered, "Will you stay with me?"

And he nodded, giving me a tender smile and holding out his arms to me.


	15. Chapter 15

15.

*Joe*

I opened my eyes and blinked rapidly, unsure of whether it was real. But it was. Katelyn was lying in my arms, her hands curled into loose fists against my chest. Her ponytail had gotten looser over the night, but it was still pulled away from her beautiful face. She looked so peaceful just lying there, and it sparked many memories for me. And I also felt more hopeful about the future now that Katelyn could remember.

No, we hadn't slept together. Well, I mean, technically we had; we had slept in the same bed and everything. But, no clothes had come off; I was a complete gentleman the whole time. It had felt so good to just _be_ with her that I hadn't even thought of anything other than to hold her close to me. And I never wanted to let go. I loved listening to her steady heartbeat and feeling her soft, warm breath against my neck. I liked smelling the soap and the shampoo that she used, and feeling the way that her body pressed into mine. And I loved the way that she slept, her face completely calm and everything about her just so relaxed and peaceful.

Suddenly, Katelyn's eyes fluttered open and she blinked furiously, as I had. I made no move at all, so as not to startle her. After a few moments, things seemed to come into focus for her and she gave me that shy smile that I had never stopped loving. "Hi."

"Hi," I whispered softly. "Did you sleep okay?" Maybe that was a stupid question; I had watched her sleep like a rock for a full five minutes. But, still, it was the polite thing to ask.

"For the first time in ages," she said softly and snuggled closer to me, resting her head in the space between my arm and my neck. I couldn't help but grin and tighten my arms slightly around her.

"That's great," I said. "Really great."

"Your presence calms me," she admitted. "And my dreams were nice, too."

"What'd you dream about?"

She sighed against my skin. "That we were skiing in the Alps."

"I can make that happen."

She chuckled softly. "I could, too. Anyone with our kind of experience could."

I rubbed slow circles on her back. "Are you feeling okay? I mean, after everything from yesterday. You still remember all of that, right?"

"Yeah," she said softly. "I remember everything."

"Good." Part of me had been afraid that she would sleep it all off and wake up wondering what the hell she was doing in my bed, even if we were fully clothed.

"Joe?"

"Yeah?"

"Did anyone suspect that I wasn't actually at an accelerated program?"

"No one except for Leah and me," I replied. "No one knew the truth except for us. And the paperwork was very authentic and no one had reason to think Headmistress Morgan was lying when she made the announcement. Even _she_ thought it was the truth."

"It does sound pretty convincing, doesn't it?"

I said nothing in response, just relishing every single second that I got to be with her. After a few minutes, though – after I thought she had fallen back to sleep – she asked, "Do you have to leave today?"

"Yes," I said regretfully. "I have to go back to Gallagher, Wouldn't want anyone to get suspicious."

"No," she murmured. "We wouldn't." Then, she sat up. "Do you mind if I take a shower here? And if I could borrow sweats and a t-shirt, that would be great."

"Sure," I nodded and moved to comply. I found my smallest black sweatpants available and then found a T-shirt for her. She took them appreciatively and then moved into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. I noticed that she didn't lock it, though, which made me happy. She still trusted me enough to leave the door unlocked while she showered. That was definitely something good.

While she showered, I changed into jeans and a T-shirt, along with my Nike Shox. I made sure that everything was packed neatly away so that I wouldn't leave anything behind, and then I just sat on my bed to wait. (You'd be surprised at how long operatives can sit without moving.)

She emerged from the bathroom in the clothes that I'd given her, looking like the most beautiful woman in the world. Her blue eyes were bright and her dark hair looked jet black from the water, and it hung straight to the middle of her back. She had slipped on her shoes form yesterday and as she walked towards me, she slipped her ponytail holder off of her wrist and began to pull her wet hair into a messy bun. "Can I walk you to your helicopter?"

"I would love that," I replied.

She smiled. "Then let's go."

I grabbed my bags and she walked out of the hotel with me, keeping pace easily. The day was cool and pleasant. "Nice surveillance day," I commented.

"Speaking of surveillance, will you be coming back?"

I wanted to say that I would come back the following weekend, but I couldn't. I had to meet Zach to go over some information that was actually about the Circle this time. "I will," I said. "I just don't know when that will be."

"I get it," she said and gave me a reassuring smile. "It's not a big deal."

"If you really need me, send a message," I told her. "I don't mind canceling plans for you."

We were reaching the air strip then, and that's when she stopped walking and asked, "Do you still love me?"

I stopped walking, too, and faced her, dropping my bags at my feet. "Yes, Katelyn. I never stopped loving you. And I never will."

"Then will you do something for me?"

"Anything," I promised.

She blushed slightly. "Kiss me; before you have to go."

I smiled and moved forward to pull her into my arms as I pressed my lips gently to hers, hoping to convey my love.


	16. Chapter 16

16.

*Joe*

Katelyn.

I was reunited with her again. Sure, it was complicated, but at least I had found her again. I had held her and smelled her shampoo and felt her lips on mine. I had seen her smile at me and watched her blue eyes look into mine. Maybe she was engaged to Rider and everything, but it hadn't really seemed like she'd been too crazy about that idea. I figured it was just like everything else in Katelyn's life: her parents had decided it for her.

It was raining outside, the sound soothing against the windshield. The wipers were rhythmic as they swept across the glass and I watched as I got closer and closer to my destination.

_Winters-McHenry: Putting America Back on Track._ I sometimes wondered who came up with these ridiculous campaign ideas. I, of course, knew that they were planning to ride through on a train, so that made the words so perfect, but why couldn't they just say _Here to Help America_ for once? Not that any of them every really did anything good.

I adjusted my suit and tied my bow tie a little tighter. I checked my reflection in the car mirror, making sure that my hair looked good and there was nothing on my face. (I had eaten a package of powdered donuts on the way up because I simply wasn't all that crazy about party food. It's just too small to really fill anyone up.)

I showed my invitation at the door, smiling and dealing with the flirting lady with the clipboard like the debonair guy that I was. Inside, the station was beautiful. There were beautiful carvings on the ceiling fifty feet above me. A string quartet played from the second story balcony; I recognized the song as one that I had heard the New York Philharmonic play. Some Canon or something. Women were eating and drinking, each of them dressed as formally as I was.

Someone offered me a drink and I took one, just to be polite. Discreetly, I tested it for any poisons and when it was confirmed that none were present, I took a drink. I walked around slowly, pretending to be interested in what was going on. I already had a cover story and fake credentials ready in case anyone decided to inquire of me. In fact, several ladies were already looking my way. A group of women that looked about ten years older than me were whispering over their drinks and giggling. About me.

Why did everyone always seem to think that the good looking guys are players? I would never cheat on Katelyn. Even if we weren't technically dating at the moment… I still would consider it cheating if I flirted with another woman. Maybe that sounds weird since Katelyn was engaged to Rider and everything, but I just knew that I would never love anyone as much as I loved Katelyn. It would never be the same.

The energy in the crowd began to change and everyone turned towards the platform. When the train rolled by, I could see the presidential candidates and their families and I had to keep from making a face. The country didn't ride on them as much as people thought. It rode on people like me; people who eliminated major threats under the radar. People whose lives were at risk everyday. And that crowd of people would never know it.

I saw Zach then, disguised as a man with crazy white hair and wild eyebrows. He was moving with purpose through the crowd, toward the train tunnel. After a few seconds of watching, I followed. It took about a minute to reach him and I smiled when I did. I considered Zach something of a little brother; he acted like me often enough. "How are you, Zach?"

He made a face. "Being on the run isn't very much fun, Joe."

"I can understand that," I said with a nod. I'd run from the Circle before and I knew that he was sort of doing the same thing. And I appreciated him defying the Circle. Doing what's right.

"I don't have a lot of info for you," he warned. "There's only so much I can get now that I'm not at Blackthorne and I'm not around all of the hustle and bustle of it all."

"I understand that," I said. "But anything you can get is fine."

He nodded and it wasn't until his next sentence that I realized we had been speaking German. "The Circle, they're not after Macey."

My mouth fell open in shock. "Not after Macey? But she's a descendent of Gilly… Who are they after, then?"

"I told you I don't have much info for you," he said softly. "I have no idea who they're really after, Joe. I'm sorry."

And I knew that he truly was. "So am I." I put a hand on his shoulder. "We'll figure this out, Zach. It's okay."

"I've tried to dig up info on your friend Matt, too."

My heart stopped for a split second. "What have you uncovered there?"

"Not much," he admitted. "But I wouldn't count him off as dead quite yet."

I shook my head. "Hoping is much worse, Zach."

"Assuming the worst just makes you depressed."

I would never be depressed as long as I had Katelyn. But I didn't tell him that. "Maybe that's true, maybe it isn't. Where did you get your psychology degree, again?"

He laughed. "Point taken. When are we meeting again?"

"Let me know when you have any more information and we'll find a time and place."

He nodded. "Do you mind if I keep using your cabin as a place to stay?"

"As long as you need it."

He gave me a small smile, unused to needing help. "Thank you, Joe."

I put a hand on his shoulder again. "Anytime, Zach. You know that."

"If you ever need anything…"

"You're doing enough by passing along information," I said. "Keep up the good work."

"Count on it," he smiled and then departed.


	17. Chapter 17

AN: Sorry for the delay everyone. I was in a carwreck and I'm just now getting home from the hospital.

17.

*Katelyn*

Every night, it had been harder to fall asleep. I suspected that it was because Joe wasn't there beside me, but I tried to tell myself that there could be other reasons, too. It could be that this mission was keeping me up at odd hours or that I just had a lot on my mind. After all, I'd had my memory restored and the things that I had remembered…

Rider had ruined my relationship with Joe. And I had loved Joe, I could remember that. But I was still just so confused… I had no idea what I was supposed to be feeling. I wasn't really all that used to making my own decisions. But I had made my own decisions with Joe before…

Sighing, I rolled out of bed and headed to the bathroom for a shower. The hot water relaxed me, as it always did, but it also made me flash back to moments with Joe. Those nights that we had spent in the security of each other's arms… The secretive looks and smiles in class… The whispered words… And those feelings that I remembered. Is it possible that I'd really felt all of that before?

I'd never felt that with Rider. With Rider, I always just felt normal, never really in love. But I had agreed to marry him… Why? Maybe because in the relationships I'd seen, people didn't marry for love. It was convenience.

I wrapped my hair in a towel as I pulled on my underwear and a sports bra. I pulled on black pants, next, and then a black, long-sleeved shirt. I looked at myself in the mirror, my fair-skinned, flawless face free of makeup. "Tonight's the night," I whispered, my blood flowing even faster at those words. I had slept all day – or, rather, fallen in and out of sleep all day – and I was ready for this. I was going to do my job and I was going to do it to the best of my ability.

I let my hair down from the towel and pulled it into a high ponytail. I had learned long ago that one of the most annoying things ever is to have your hair get in your face during a covert operation. I put in the appropriate number of bobby pins to keep it secure and then I slipped on my Nike Shox, even though it wasn't quite time to go.

My phone rang then – the BlackBerry that had been given to me for the mission – and I looked at it from across the room, confused. Had the CIA director changed his mind about killing Antonio? Did he want him brought to prison instead? I crossed the room and picked up the phone to answer it. "Hunter."

"Not for long," teased the voice on the other end.

"Rider?" I questioned. "How did you know how to get hold of me? Is something wrong with my parents or did something happen? Did-"

"Chill, Kay," he said with a laugh. "I just wanted to check up on you."

"Oh. How did you get the number?"

"I'm an assassin, too. It wasn't all that hard to hack the database. You don't sound happy," he noted.

_What a genius_. "Just want to get this over with."

"I agree," he said. "I want you home with me."

I glanced at the clock and noted the time. "I have to go, Rider."

"It's time?"

"Yeah."

"You have a plan, right?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Rider. I have a plan; I'm not an idiot."

"Just making sure," he laughed. "Oh, and Kay? Be careful, okay?"

"I'm always careful, Rider."

"Okay, I love you."

My heartbeat sped up but I suppressed the thoughts from taking over. "I've got to go. It's time."

An hour later, I was outside Antonio's residence, busy hacking into the security system. Finally, the screen blinked and I saw that I was in. Stealthily, I climbed the wall and noticed that the cameras weren't moving like they normally did. They weren't doing a sweeping pattern; I had disabled them. I smiled to myself and moved across the lawn with its carefully manicured grass. I easily picked the lock on the back door and slipped inside unnoticed, doing a quick sweep of the immediate area for any threats.

When I found none, I found the closest set of stairs and began my ascent, my mind snapping into focus, my heart beating steadily. It was just like so many times before. Like shooting a free throw or riding a bike – muscle memory.

I reached the second floor landing and crept down the hall, towards where Antonio's bedroom was, according to the blueprints I'd studied. My footsteps made no noise against the real wood floors. I could smell the cleaner that the housekeeper had used earlier, and I wondered if it would be her that would find him dead in his room.

The door to his room was ajar and I could see him pacing the room, talking on a cell phone to someone about a deal they'd be making tomorrow. He didn't know that no such deal would be made. I waited patiently until the call was over, and then I watched as he tossed the phone onto a desk and sighed. _Being a drug dealer is stressful?_

I pushed open the door then, my gun already drawn and pointing at him. He looked shocked at first, and then just confused. "Who are you?" he asked in Italian, narrowing his heavy lidded eyes.

"That's none of your concern," I said coolly, making sure that the safety was off and I was ready to fire. I had it aimed at his forehead, right between the eyes. And I never missed my target.

"Who sent you?"

"You'll never know."

He seemed to realize that he wasn't going to be able to talk his way out of this. "I see how it is, then. Do it now."

I took a deep breath before my finger wrapped around the trigger. And for the first time ever, I closed my eyes as I fired.


	18. Chapter 18

_Just because I've gotten a lot of private messages asking if I'm okay and stuff, I'll tell you. I was driving at night and this semi thought he could beat me across the intersection, so he pulled out in front of me. I couldn't stop and there was nowhere to go, so we collided. I had a severe consussion, a broken wrist, and internal bleeding. But I'll be okay; I promise. I get a brand new car and everything. On with the story!_

18.

*Katelyn*

The flight home was just a big pain. It was a private flight and I didn't have to deal with any screaming babies or business men talking on the phone, but it was still a pain. It was still loud at takeoff, which only increased my headache. And plus, I had to fill out the report to send back with the plane to the CIA director. Reports are always bad for headaches. Several times I had considered doing a study about it. There would definitely be something there to prove.

Finally done with the report, I set it off to the side and leaned back in my seat, staring out the window at the clouds. I thought about Joe, then, and about everything that I had learned. I then decided that there was no point in avoiding it, so I thought about my feelings towards him.

There was something there; there would be no point trying to deny it. There were definitely feelings there that had been developed in a time that I hadn't remembered until recently. Love. That's the only word that I had for it. I wanted him. I wanted him beside me every second. I wanted him to hold me and whisper things to me. I didn't even care what he whispered – it could be a sweet nothing or it could be some random fact like the thing he had told me about Heinz. I just wanted… him. I wanted us. I wanted to be together. I wanted to be wearing _his_ ring, not Rider's. I wanted a life with him.

I shook my head violently to clear away the thoughts. I couldn't want a life with him. Besides, I had no idea if he still felt the same way about me that he had before. And I was engaged to Rider…

I looked down at the three stone ring for conformation. I thought about the way that he had proposed… so unromantically, but he had proposed all the same. That had to count for something, right?

And then, the plane dropped for the landing and I clutched my seat, letting the thoughts wash away from me. The landing didn't take long, and then I was gathering my bags and stepping off of the plane. Rider was waiting for me, standing off to the side, wearing jeans and a long sleeved Hollister shirt. His curly blond hair was as neatly trimmed as ever and his smile was the same. "Hey," he said, rushing forward to take one of my bags. "Did everything go okay?"

"Everything was fine," I said with a forced smile. "Everything went great."

He leaned forward to kiss me and I noticed how strange his lips felt on mine. Like they just didn't belong there. Like they had never and would never belong there. He pulled away and I managed to keep the smile on my face.

"Welcome back," he said. And then he dramatically lowered his voice. "But beware; your mom wants wedding decision."

Wedding.

Luckily, just then, my mother and father came forward to hug me, asking me questions, which I answered politely. I noticed that everyone was smiling and that everyone seemed happy. But then I wondered: If I told my parents that I wanted to marry someone else – Joe – would they still be happy? Were they supportive of _me_ or the me that they wanted me to be?

A few days after I got home, I sat on the couch with Rider, flipping through a magazine at my mother's request to pick out things that I would want for the house I would have with Rider.

With Rider.

It all just seemed so surreal. I felt like I was being suffocated sometimes. Most of the time. Like now, when Rider had his arms around me and I was pressed to his side. We didn't fit like Joe and I had. Joe and I had fit naturally, our bodies knowing how to meld together.

"I like that," Rider said of the table that was currently taking up the page. "Not too big, not too small."

"Yeah, it's nice," I said.

"Should I write it down?"

"Sure."

He reached for the pen and paper and I turned another page, bored already. I hated all of this wedding stuff. I had begged my mom to just let Rider and I elope, but she had freaked out when she'd heard. She wanted me to have a wedding, so I was going to have a wedding. Fantastic. Shouldn't my marriage be about what I want? Which wasn't Rider…

My father came into the room then, wearing a suit. "Hey, kids; how's it going?"

"We're not kids," I said as a reflex. "I'm eighteen, Dad."

"Still my kid," he commented, dropping into the seat across form the couch that Rider and I were occupying.

"Sure, Dad. Sure."

"Oh, yeah," he said, holding up the folder he'd been carrying. "I guess you did such a great job that the CIA wants you for another assassination in Italy. I only looked at the cover sheet, but it looks pretty interesting."

I took the file, feeling a little annoyed. But, at least another job would give me an excuse to get away from Rider. And my overbearing parents. And everything that I didn't want to have to think about. Like the wedding that I didn't even want to happen.

Rider looked over the cover page and agreed that it looked very interesting and I would have my work cut out for me. Then, he and my dad began talking about wedding stuff and I looked at the file just so that I wouldn't have to think about it.

The cover sheet did look interesting. So, I flipped through the pages. I got all the way to the fifth page. And that's when I saw it.

_The king of hearts is the only king without a mustache._

Now what would that be doing in a CIA file? I bit back a smile. Looks like Joe wanted me back in Italy.


	19. Chapter 19

AN: I'm 16, for the person that asked. And, yes, typing is pretty hard with a broken wrist, but the brace I'm wearing helps a lot. And thanks to everyone for your concern! I love you all!

19

*Joe*

I don't know why I did it. I don't know what made the need to see Katelyn so unbearable that I had to send her that message in the file. Hacking into the CIA to find out where to send the file had been one of the most challenging things I've ever done, but I knew that it was worth it and it kept me going. And then there had been the issue of _how_ to send the message. I mean, I had no way of knowing if Katelyn would be the first one to read it. Finally, though, I had come up with the perfect way and I had gone for it.

I had flown to Italy as soon as classes were out on Friday and I had gone straight to the hotel to wait. I had requested the same room as before, so I would be easy to track down. As soon as I was in the room, I swept it for bugs and then I took a shower. The steam helped me relax and when I got out, I felt refreshed. I put on jeans and a black button up shirt before running a product through my hair to make it messy.

And then I waited.

I didn't have to wait long. The knock on my door came at 8:42. Eagerly, I got up from my bed and hurried over to open it. And there was Katelyn, standing on the other side. She looked drop-dead gorgeous and I lost my breath for a few seconds before I could move aside and say, "Come in."

She did and I examined her again, once more truly appreciating her beauty. She wore a red blouse, jeans, and black flats, along with a bracelet on her wrist. A black Coach purse was strapped across her body and her dark hair was curled beautifully and her makeup was perfect. "So you got my message."

She smiled at me and set her purse down on the spare chair. "Yeah. It was really good."

"Are you hungry?" I asked. I didn't have anything prepared, but I could always order room service.

She shook her head. "I ate before I came."

"Oh. Well, do you want to sit?"

"Sure," she said, and she sank onto the bed. I sat down, too, beside her, leaving enough space for her to feel comfortable.

"So," she said softly, looking at me. "Why did you want to see me today?"

"I dunno," I answered honestly. "I just… Needed to see you. Does that make sense or do I just sound like a creep?"

She laughed. "You're not a creep. I get it."

But she didn't. She had no idea how much I loved her. How much I needed her to know that. How hard it was going to be for me to tell her how I felt. "Thank you. But you'll think I'm a creep after this." And then, I pulled out her necklace; the one she'd left in my quarters after she'd been forced away. I dangled it between us, waiting.

Recognition dawned on her face. "Is this mine?"

I nodded. "You never had time to gather it up. I've been keeping it with me… Just to remind me of you. Of how much I love you…"

And I got the shock of my life when she took the necklace, set it aside on the bedside table, and looked back at me with her startlingly blue eyes. And I could have sworn that I was dreaming as I heard her whisper, "I love you, too."

*Katelyn*

"What?" he asked, sounding a little shocked.

I took a deep breath and repeated my words. "I love you. I mean, maybe I didn't remember you before, but now that I do… Joe, the memories that I have of you are _so_ powerful. I know how in love I was with you. No; how in love with you I _am_. Because it's true. I don't love Rider, Joe. I really don't. I guess I just agreed to marry him because that's what I thought my parents wanted me to do. And I'm sick of that. I'm sick of what they do to me."

Gently, I reached out and touched his cheek. Felt him suck in a breath. "They took me away from you. From my happiness. And I won't let them do that again."

"What are you saying?" he asked softly.

"That I love you," I whispered and moved closer to him. "And that I'm still yours. All yours."

"All mine…" he whispered to himself as if he didn't believe it. As if it couldn't be possible.

So I leaned in and pulled him to me, kissing him with as much love as I had inside of me. Nothing but pure love flowed between us, pure and innocent. I loved the way that his hand slid up my thigh while his other one tangled in my hair. Everything about it felt so right. Even when I moved my hands to unbutton his shirt.

He pulled away then, took my face in his hands. "Are you sure about this?"

"Absolutely," I said, no doubt in my body.

He smiled then. "I love you so much. I do, I really do, Katelyn. I've been waiting so long to get you back." His eyes were swimming.

"Shh," I comforted, running my hands through his hair. "I'm here now. We're together now."

He swept me into a deep kiss, the force of it causing me to lie back on the bed. Joe adjusted to hover above me, supporting his own weight easily. I unbuttoned his shirt and when he moved to let it slide off of his shoulders, I rolled so that I was above him.

Every movement was right; every touch was familiar. When he unclasped my bra with an expert twist, my breath caught in my chest. When he whispered to me, the words stuck in my head. When he touched me, my body quivered with anticipation. And when we finally joined as one, I decided that I would do whatever it took to keep this love between us alive.


	20. Chapter 20

20

*Joe*

At first, when I woke up, I couldn't believe it. But I knew that it was real and then the most ridiculous smile stuck onto my face and I knew that it wouldn't leave, no matter how hard I tried. Katelyn was lying in my arms, under the covers. There were remnants of her makeup on her face and her hair was a little messy, but she was still the most beautiful woman in the world.

I couldn't help but remember last night. Hearing her admit her love for me and then giving herself to me all over again. Making love to her again after so long of aching for her…

I felt perfect. Everything in my life at that moment was just perfect.

And then, she stirred slightly in my arms and her eyes opened slowly. She blinked a few times and then smiled sleepily at me. "Hey."

"Good morning, love," I replied, kissing her forehead.

She sighed in content. "I love you."

I couldn't help but grin. "I love you, too. So much."

She snuggled closer to me and I rubbed my hands over the bare skin of her lower back. She moaned. "You're going to put me back to sleep."

"That wouldn't be a bad thing," I murmured against her hair.

She sighed and then said, "I decided something. Last night."

We hadn't really talked about anything too serious, other than our love for one another. We'd made love three times, and in between, we just whispered to each other. And then, we'd fallen right to sleep, both of us exhausted. "What's that?"

She tipped her head back to look at me. "I want to be with you."

"You are with me," I told her and pressed a light kiss to her lips.

She smiled as she pulled away. "As more than that. I want… I want this to continue. I want to find a way to get away from Rider and my parents and be with you."

"You mean it?"

She nodded and smiled. "I do."

I grinned and kissed her once more, passionately this time. "Then will you do something for me?"

"Anything," she replied, confused.

I kissed her again. "Go get ready somewhere. Wear something nice. We're going on a date."

"A date?'

I nodded. "A real date. A good one."

"Where?"

"I can't tell you that," I smiled. "But you'll love it, I pinky promise."

"What time?"

"Be ready by seven."

She smiled and leaned closer to press her lips to mine again. I could taste myself on them, and I loved it. I wanted it to be like that forever. "Okay; I trust you. Where should I show up when I'm done getting ready?"

"You'll know," I promised her. "You'll know."

She sighed and moved off of the bed to get dressed in the clothes she'd worn yesterday, putting on the necklace that I had always kept so that she wouldn't leave it again. Then, she gave me another kiss and a promise to see me later before she left.

Frantically, I dressed myself and grabbed the phone. I had a lot to get done and not enough time to do it. But, I'd been in tight spots worse than this before. And it had always come out okay. And I knew for a fact that it would come out this time too. Because I would make it perfect.

For her.

*Katelyn*

I was practically skipping down the road. I was filled with this intense happiness that gave me too much energy to keep it bottled up inside. I did force myself to skip the coffee, though, and I went straight to my hotel room instead. I used room service to order lunch, a simple sandwich and fries. Then, I had about eight hours until I had to be ready, and it absolutely killed me, all the waiting.

I knew that spies had to wait a lot, and that was always hard, but this seemed even harder. I was so curious that once, I considered going to find Joe to tail him. But, I refrained. I knew that it would be greatest if it was a surprise, so I just let it be. Surprises could be fun, after all.

I turned on the TV, but I wasn't really watching anything. I was just thinking about how amazing last night was. How gently Joe had held me and the sweet words that he had whispered over and over as he moved above me. I remembered his fingers trailing over every inch of my body and how it had felt when we'd finally joined as one. I remembered the slight discomfort at first, and how it had melted away to complete ecstasy, until all I could feel was that happiness, that feeling that it was so totally right to be with him.

"I love you, Joe," I whispered softly as I laid back against the pillow and stared up at the ceiling, an irreversible smile on my face. I thought about my decision to be with him no matter what, and I knew that it was right. It was time to choose to be happy, and I knew that Joe would make me happy. He had proven that he could. And he cared about me more than anyone else ever had. That's all that I knew I needed. All that I would ever need, really.

And he would take care of me. I knew it.

Smiling with my new resolve, I picked out an outfit to wear and headed to the bathroom to take a shower and get ready for my date with Joe. When the water was the right temperature, I stepped in and sighed in satisfaction. Possibilities of the date began to run through my head and I smiled at each one, wondering what was really going to happen. But I knew that I would never know until seven o' clock.

Just the wait was killing me.

Joe was officially driving me crazy.


	21. Chapter 21

21.

*Joe*

I took one last look to see that everything was perfect. I had made my special French toast and my special maple syrup, and everything about the food looked good. I'd even tasted the syrup just to check, and it was wonderful; just as it should have been.

Sure, I'd had to call in some pretty special favors to set it all up so quickly, but it was all worth it. Anything was worth it when it came to Katelyn.

I straightened a wrinkle out of the tablecloth and then checked my watch. I still had about ten minutes. I quickly found a reflective surface to make sure that everything was okay with my appearance. My face looked fine and my messy hair was the same as always. I wore nice jeans and a white polo, along with black shoes. I wore my favorite cologne and I felt ready for anything.

I heard footsteps then and smiled, straightening up just as Katelyn walked onto the platform. "A vineyard? Joe, this place is amazing." She looked at the lit candles and her eyes lit up. "Wow. So amazing. This is really sweet."

I flashed her a grin and went to pull out her chair. In French, I said, "Take a seat. Dinner is served."

"We're in Italy," she said with a smile as she took the seat. "Why are you speaking French?"

"Because," I said as I took off the cover of her plate. "We're having French toast."

"I remember you making that for me!" she said. "With the special maple syrup."

I gestured to the metal container in the middle. "We have that, too." And then I took my seat and smiled at her.

"How long did it take you to set all of this up?"

I reached to hand her the syrup. "Not very long at all. It wasn't any trouble."

She looked out over the rows and rows of vines. "I've always loved vineyards. I visited one when I was little and I was just struck by it all. I saw a lot of beautiful things in my life but for some odd reason, nothing ever struck me like a vineyard."

The food was delicious, and everything went smoothly. We talked for a long time, about training and jobs that we'd been on. Katelyn told me about what she had remembered from Gallagher and that her parents had told her that she was too advanced for that school. Katelyn said that she'd been thinking of writing Leah a letter, and I promised to deliver it if she chose to write one. She asked me about teaching and I told her everything – even the meeting with Zach and my worries about the Circle. She helped me speculate and she was actually a big help. Finally, we had both finished our food and I stood up, holding out my hand. "Let's go for a walk," I said, butterflies starting in my stomach.

Joe Solomon should never be nervous.

But I was.

And the nervousness increased when she smiled, took my hand, and said, "Sure."

*Katelyn*

Everything was perfect about that night. Everything. I wore a simple white dress with brown sandals and my hair was curled again. My makeup was perfect and Joe himself looked like a vision. He always did, though. I wondered how he could love someone like me. Someone so plain. He was obviously so super perfect.

I didn't linger on those thoughts for too long, though. They were the only imperfect thing about that night. Even Joe's voice was perfect, smooth and easy, as he said, "You're not wearing your ring."

I looked down at my left hand, the one that he was holding. I had, indeed, taken Rider's ring off. "It represents a lie," I said softly. "I just couldn't wear it anymore."

He nodded slowly and I walked closer to him, our shoulders bumping with every step. He told me a story about a mission he'd had when he'd had to work on a farm, and I laughed as he recounted his tales about having to milk cows and fix heavy machinery. I realized that I loved just being with him; just talking about simple stuff. I wished for a few minutes that we were normal people so that we could just live our lives.

But when you're a spy, nothing is ever simple.

I told him about killing Antonio and he praised me for a job well done. I then pointed out a constellation, and Joe found one, too. I laughed when he told me a funny made-up story about the Big Dipper and we were still laughing as he stopped walking amidst the plants.

He pulled me into a kiss and I eagerly kissed him back. After a few moments, he pulled away and smiled at me, his green eyes bright. "I love you, Katelyn."

"I love you too," I told him softly, smiling.

He reached out to touch my face and I closed my eyes, letting a breath escape. I wanted to hold the moment forever. And then, he asked me, "Are you happy with me?"

"Yes," I said, feeling like that was a stupid question. Of course I was. "I love you, Joe. So much."

He smiled as if those were the exact words he had wanted to hear. "I know this is crazy, Katelyn; but we can find a way. We can do anything."

I raised my eyebrows, confused. "What do you mean?"

He took a breath, fished something out of his pocket, and got down on one knee.

_Oh my God. No way._

He opened the box to reveal a beautiful white gold, solitaire ring. The diamond in the center glinted in the moonlight. "Katelyn, I realize how hard this would be for you; to be with me. But I love you more than anything. I'll protect you and I'll take care of you forever; no matter what happens. Will you-"

"Yes!" I said before he could even finish, and he pulled me into his arms. I hugged him tightly, savoring every single second that ticked by. And when he finally pulled away to slip the ring onto my finger, the only thing that I could think was: _This is where I belong. With him. Forever._


	22. Chapter 22

22.

*Joe*

I don't want to move. That's all I could think; that I just didn't want to move from that spot. I just wanted to hold Katelyn in my arms forever and ever. She stirred then and let a sigh escape her lips as her body shifted. Her head rested against my shoulder, her hands folded on my chest. And I could see the ring there. _My_ ring. A symbol that she was going to marry _me_, not Rider. A symbol that said that she accepted my love and that she loved me in return. And soon, I hoped, that band would be joined by another – a wedding ring.

She stirred again and this time, she opened her eyes. Smiled brightly at me. "Good morning."

"Morning," I replied with a grin of my own. "How did you sleep?"

"You would know," she murmured softly as she sat up, yawning as she stretched, the sheets only partially covering her body.

"I supposed I would."

She must have heard the sadness in my voice, because she fell back into my arms with a kiss. "What's wrong?"

I sighed.

"You're regretting asking me to marry you, aren't you?" she teased.

I smiled. "Yeah; that's it."

She laughed and kissed me again. "So what's really up?"

"I don't want to leave," I admitted, my arms tightening around her. "I just want to get married right now and run away. Be with you forever."

"I want that, too," she replied honestly, tracing patters on my chest. "But you know we can't do that. We have to plan this; we have to make sure that we can't be found if we don't want to be. We have to check and double check."

"I know," I murmured as I kissed her temple. "I know." I repeated.

We laid in silence for a while, the only sound the noise of the workers in the vineyard somewhere below. We were up in the barn, in the room that I had managed to set up in such a short time. And it was perfect, too. Everything about last night had been perfect. It was like all of it had come out of a fairy tale: Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty or something like that. It all just felt so surreal. I was actually engaged to Katelyn.

"What are you thinking about?" she whispered, her warm breath fanning my skin.

"You," I replied. "And me. Our life together."

"It's going to be amazing."

"I know it will be," I replied.

"Can I ask for a favor?"

"You can ask for anything," I replied, kissing her skin.

She smiled sweetly at me. "I really really don't want a big wedding."

"That's fine with me," I replied. "But I don't want our wedding to be something that you could get anywhere in Vegas. I want the preacher to be legit. No one even has to be there, but I want it to be more real than those twenty minute ceremonies."

She nodded. "I agree with that. But I also would like to have it in France somewhere. I mean, getting married in the city of love…"

"I have a safe house in Paris," I said. "We could stay there for our first night as a married couple."

She smiled. "Sounds really nice. Would you make French toast for me the next morning?"

I kissed her softly. "I would make you anything you wanted."

She sighed in contentment and then said, "So, when, do you think?"

I sighed. "We'll need to give it a few weeks. You'll have to come up with some kind of excuse to get you away from Rider and your parents."

"Already have one," she said and she explained her short little plan to me.

"Pretty good," I said with a nod. "I'll be able to get away really easily. Now, I just have to find the time, place, and person. But that shouldn't be too hard. A few phone calls. Actually, I know this guy that could do the wedding… Yeah, it should be him."

She chuckled softly and leaned forward to kiss my bare chest. "I feel guilty for not contributing here."

"You're a contribution," I disagreed, taking her hand in mine and kissing her fingertips, which smelled like my soap and my cologne.

"I actually like not having to deal with wedding stuff," she said. "I've been having to deal with that with Rider and it sucks. And my mom's so into it… It's like she's living vicariously through me. She never got to have a wedding with Dad because she was already pregnant so they just eloped and… She wants the wedding for her, not me."

"You want this, right?" I asked. "I mean, we can just have a certificate signed and everything. I just thought that vows would be nice…"

"No," she said quickly. "I love that idea. That's perfect. I just didn't want anything to do with mine and Rider's wedding because I didn't want the wedding to happen at all. I knew that I didn't love him."

I kissed her. "I'm glad. Is that mean of me?"

She laughed. "No; not mean at all."

I sighed then and said, "So, let's set a date."

We talked for a while and finally agreed on a date. It would give me a couple of weeks to get things ready; to make everything perfect. After we set the date, we just laid there for a little while longer, talking about our hopes and dreams for the future. It was just as perfect as the night before had been, and I wondered if my life would ever be anything but perfect when Katelyn was in it.

Probably not, I decided. Katelyn was what made my life worth living. As long as she was around and she was happy, I would be happy. She was my all; my everything.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked me again.

"Us," I answered happily. "I'm just thinking about us."

And she responded with a kiss.


	23. Chapter 23

23.

*Joe*

The wedding day. I was as keyed up as I got before really big missions and I felt like I was going to explode form all of my excitement. I felt like a little kid again as I tied my tie and walked out to where the preacher stood. Jeff Scott was a preacher from France that I knew quite well. He'd so graciously agreed to do the ceremony, which I appreciated. "Thanks again, Jeff."

He beamed at me from beneath his gray mustache. "Anytime, Joe. You know that."

And then Katelyn was there, walking swiftly down the aisle in a simple white, floor length dress. Her hair was in a curly updo and her makeup was flawless, just like always. She beamed at me and took my hand, accepting my assistance up the steps.

Leah followed Katelyn down the aisle in a simple black dress and I smiled at her, mouthing _Thank you for coming._

She just smiled and took her place beside Katelyn. I didn't need a best man, I had told Katelyn, so that place was void.

Jeff started in on his little speech about love in general and it was all I could do to not tell him to hurry it along. I wasn't even really listening to the words; I just kept looking over at Katelyn, still in awe that she had chosen _me_. That she wanted me as much as I wanted her. It was unreal.

And then it was time for the lines. "Joe, do you take Katelyn to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you affirm to love, comfort, and cherish her from this day forward, forsaking all others; keeping only unto her for as long as you both shall live?"

I grinned and squeezed Katelyn's hands. "I do."

"Katelyn, do you take Joe to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you affirm to love, comfort, and cherish him from this day forward, forsaking all others; keeping only unto him for as long as you both shall live?"

Katelyn's voice was just as strong as mine when she vowed, "I do."

I couldn't stop grinning, even as I repeated after Jeff. "I, Joe, take thee, Katelyn, to be my wedded wife. To have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honor, and cherish; 'til death do us part."

Katelyn repeated those words. "I, Katelyn, take thee, Joe, to be my wedded husband. To have and to hold from this day forward. For better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honor, and cherish; 'til death do us part."

Leah handed us both our rings and we both said the words.

"With this ring, I thee wed."

"With this ring, I thee wed."

Jeff said a few more words and then pronounced us husband and wife. Katelyn and I kissed, and then Jeff said Mr. and Mrs. Joe Solomon for the first time. I smiled at Katelyn and spoke softly in Arabic. "Now, you're mine."

"And you're mine," she whispered in Farsi. "Forever."

*Katelyn*

Joe and I got back to the safe house that he had in France, both of us still wearing our wedding clothes. "Thank you for bringing Leah," I told him. "That means a lot to me."

"I figured you'd want someone there," he said as he took off his shoes and tossed them into a corner of the living room. He then led me into the bedroom and headed for the stereo on the opposite side of the room.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

He turned it on and a song came on. "I'm ten miles from town, and I just broke down…"

"This song sounds familiar," I mused as Joe approached me and pulled me into his arms.

"It's called 'Life After You'," he informed me as he pressed a kiss to my lips. "It always makes me think of you."

"Is this our first dance?" I asked with a smile.

He grinned back at me. "Yes, it is, Mrs. Solomon."

"I like that," I whispered softly and rested my head against my husband's chest.

"All that I'm after is a life full of laughter; as long as I'm laughing with you. I think that all that still matters is love ever after; after the life we've been through. Cause I know there's no life after you."

"I like this song," I informed him.

"Me too."

"This can be our song," I decided.

He dipped me and then winked. "Agreed."

He pulled me back up and we continued moving across the floor, our bodies close together. I breathed in the scent of his cologne and looked down at the rings on my finger; the engagement ring and the new wedding band. The wedding band on his finger was white gold and one that I had specially ordered. It fit him so well.

The song ended and Joe went to go turn the radio off as I slipped out of the silver heels that I was wearing. Next, I removed my necklace and the earrings I was wearing. Joe came up behind me as I was setting them down on the dresser and wrapped his arms around me. "I love you."

"I love you, too," I whispered in return.

He kissed my neck lightly and said, "I can't wait until we can _officially_ move in together."

"Won't be long now."

"Mmm." He kissed my neck again and then moved up to my jaw. I turned in his arms to kiss him, wrapping my arms around his neck. I worked his tie off easily and then slid the jacket off of his shoulders.

He removed the dress easily and carefully set it aside. I laughed when he picked me up like a rag doll and set me down on the bed. When his lips found mine again, the reality of the situation hit me and I lost my breath.

He pulled away to kiss my neck and whispered, "I love you."

"I love you too, Joe," I whispered back and fell into my husband's embraces.


	24. Chapter 24

24.

*Joe*

I just couldn't keep the grin off of my face. If you had told me before I had started teaching at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women that I was going to fall deeply in love, I would have said you were crazy. I was Joe Solomon, after all. I didn't just fall in love. But I had, and it was the most wonderful thing that had ever happened to me. The woman that was now my wife had captured my heart, even though I was supposed to be some big, tough guy. She had torn through every wall I'd ever built to protect myself, and I had never regretted letting her in.

I watched her sleep, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. Her dark hair had come out of its updo sometime during our night together and it splayed across the pillow in its curls. Her makeup hadn't faded a single bit, and I smiled when I looked at her pale pink lips. I remembered the words coming out of them; those words that bonded us in matrimony and made her mine. Those words that she had spoken willingly, and with a smile on her face. The words that I would always remember, for the rest of my life.

I looked down at the rings on her finger and smiled. I had everything that I could ever want. She had accepted me as a part of her life. Fate – which I felt compelled to believe in – had brought us back together. What else could it be? Luck, I suppose. Or a coincidence. Either way, whatever had happened had worked well for me. I just couldn't get over the fact that she was now my wife. Sure, maybe we wouldn't be living together for a couple of months – I had to set everything up for us to get off the radar – but we were officially married and it wouldn't be too long.

Careful not to wake her up, I got out of bed, dressed, and headed for the kitchen. I knew that she'd be waking up soon, and I intended to have breakfast ready for her. I made French toast, since it had been a whole two weeks since she'd last had it. I was just finishing when I felt her presence in the room.

I turned and smiled when I saw her, wearing my shirt that was at least three sizes too big for her. She had pulled her hair up into a loose ponytail and she seemed to glow, filling the kitchen with warmth as she walked towards me. "Good morning."

"Good morning," I replied and accepted her kiss. "Hungry?"

"I most definitely am," she agreed and moved to fill her own plate.

"Sorry that it's French toast again," I apologized as I grabbed a plate for myself.

She shook her head. "French toast is fine; I could eat your French toast every day."

I smiled. "I'm glad. Did you sleep well, too?"

She nodded and moved for the table. "Extremely well. I can't wait to make this a permanent thing."

"I know," I agreed, sitting beside her and taking her hand in mine. "But it won't be long now, love."

"Promise?"

"Only a couple of months," I promised.

She smiled, kissed me, and then dug into her breakfast.

*Katelyn*

"I don't want to go," I admitted, clutching onto the front of Joe's shirt. I knew that it was childish, but it's just how I felt. His rings had long since been stowed away and I was dressed for the flight back to my parent's house, but I simply didn't want to get on the helicopter.

"You'll be fine, love," he said, kissing my forehead. "It's just for a couple of months."

"That's a long time," I pouted, holding the front of his shirt even tighter.

He grabbed my wrists loosely. "I know. Believe me, I know. But this will work out, Katelyn. We'll make it work."

I nodded dumbly. "I know."

He kissed me gently, bringing a hand up to touch my face. I sighed in contentment when he pulled away and I said, "I love you."

"I love you, too," he replied easily. "And I'll be thinking about you every single second."

"Same here," I replied, knowing that it would be true. I'd had problems with thinking about him every second before, and we hadn't even been _dating_ then. Now, we were married; and I knew that it was going to be a whole lot more difficult to keep him off of my mind. I'd be thinking about him every time Rider or one of my parents brought up a wedding that was never going to happen. I'd think about him more often than should be healthy.

The helicopters blades were turning behind us and I sighed. "People are so impatient these days."

He smiled and pulled me in for another long, slow kiss. By the time that he pulled away, I was almost completely breathless. Joe smirked at me and said, "I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Okay," I agreed, staring deeply into his green eyes.

He touched my face then, and his eyes were filled with love. Love for me. The same kind of love that I felt for him. "Mrs. Solomon," he murmured softly and I couldn't help but smile. I loved my new name. I loved the sound of it and the meaning; I belonged to him. And I didn't mind that one little bit.

I stepped closer and let him wrap his arms around me and press his lips to mine for one final kiss. I pulled away this time, and smiled brightly, putting on my brave face even though I felt a little bit like crying. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

And then I turned away to get on the helicopter so that it could take me far away from home. Because home, to me, was wherever Joe was. And all I could see was him standing there, getting smaller and smaller as the helicopter got farther and farther away.


	25. Chapter 25

25.

*Katelyn*

I was up again in the middle of the night. In my bathroom, actually, my knees drawn tightly to my chest. I had my hair pulled back into a messy bun and there was not a trace of makeup on my sweaty face. I knew that I probably looked horrid in my black sweatpants and pink T-shirt with a Victoria's Secret hoodie over it, but I couldn't bring myself to care. Who did I really have to impress? Rider? Yeah, right. And my parents could really care less about my appearance as long as we weren't going to a dinner party or anything.

It's not that I was depressed about being away from Joe. Really, that wasn't it. I was sick. As in, the sickest I had ever been in my life. As in: I'd thrown up dinner, my stomach still hurt from that, I had yet _another_ headache, and I just felt weak and tired. I was dehydrated, too, but I just simply didn't have the energy to get up and make the trip downstairs to get myself a bottle of water. I guess I could have drank from the tap on the sink, too, but I didn't want to pull myself up.

In fact, I did exactly the opposite. I let myself fall down onto the floor so that my cheek could press against the cool tile. I hated feeling weak, but there was nothing that I could do about it. _Suck it up_, I said to myself over and over again, but I just couldn't. And that was saying something for me; I had a very high pain tolerance. Always had. Once, I had broken my arm and I hadn't even cried; I'd just told my parents that it felt a little tingly and that it seemed to be swelling.

But I couldn't just shake this pain off. The waves of nausea rolled over me so powerfully that I had to press my head between my knees, curling myself up into a small ball. I guess I could have gone to get Rider, but I had no desire for him to see me like that. I didn't want him comforting me. I wanted Joe. I wanted my husband; the man that I loved more than anything in the world. More than myself. But, he wasn't there. He couldn't be there.

_Food poisoning sucks_, I told myself and then thoughts began to strike me….

The headaches and the fatigue had been going on longer than possible for food poisoning. Something was wrong with me. A disease or an illness or maybe…

_God, no_.

But I knew that it was a possibility and that's what drove me to finally pull myself off of the floor, fighting my nausea the whole time. I didn't bother with different clothes or makeup; it didn't matter. I had my goal in mind and that's it.

I used the new car that had been invented in Russia by a retired operative. It made no noise, which made it easy for me to get away without anyone noticing. The night was dark, too; perfect cover. The chilliness, though, I could have done without.

The store wasn't that far away and I found what I needed immediately. I drove back to the house, parked, and snuck back inside quietly. Quickly, I made my way back to my room and closed the door securely. I then took it out of the bag and just looked at the white box for a moment, studying the lettering, even though I already knew what it was.

_Clearblue Pregnancy Test…_

_Over 99% accurate…_

_Extra reassurance…_

Yeah, I definitely needed some reassurance. Because being pregnant would change everything.

I was so panicky that I couldn't even get the box open until the fourth try. And then, when I finally got it open and pulled the stick out, I held it in my trembling hands for a minute. Then, I told myself over and over again that it was going to be okay and I traveled into my bathroom, shutting the door behind me and locking it, even though everyone else in the household was fast asleep.

Paranoia is just part of being an extremely good operative.

You wouldn't believe how hard it was for me to go. I was dehydrated anyway, so I ended up drinking water out of the tap on the sink for a while until I could go. Then, I had to wait. I set the stick on the counter and let myself sink onto the floor beside it, hugging my knees to my chest again. I couldn't even think about anything solid; my thoughts kept changing over and over again and I could hardly make sense of any of them. My mind was just full of doubt and worry and fear…

_Stop it_, I commanded myself. _Take a deep breath._

I did, but it didn't make me feel any better. I uncurled my legs and let them lay out straight while I placed a hand on my stomach and leaned back against the wall. My stomach was smooth and flat under the T-shirt and the hoodie. I still had muscles there from working out.

_You're probably just overworked and tired. Not pregnant._

The wall was just as cool as the floor and it felt good against the back of my neck, which had been sweating before. I closed my eyes tightly for a few moments and when I opened them, I decided that it was time to stop delaying the inevitable. I'd have to look at the result sooner or later.

I took a deep breath before pulling myself up and steadying myself against the sink. I then grabbed the stick and looked at it. My mouth fell open in shock and the stick clattered to the tile floor, bouncing up and then back down. But when it landed again, the side that showed my result was still facing up.

And the two pink, perpendicular lines sealed my fate.


	26. Chapter 26

26.

*Katelyn*

_Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. OH MY GOD!_

I stood there for a full two minutes, just staring down at the pregnancy test. At the two pink lines that declared that I had a baby growing inside of me. Joe's baby.

_Oh my God._

How was I planning to deal with this, you ask? Excellent question. Because I had no plan. Nothing. I had no idea what I was supposed to do. This hadn't been in any spy books that I had ever read. _A Highly Trained Operative's Guide to What To Do When You Find Out That You're Pregnant and The Baby Belongs to Your Secret Husband_ just doesn't exist. No matter how much I wished it did.

_Oh my God. I'm pregnant._

So I did what any sensible person would do. I went back out into my room and got the other test. My hands were surprisingly more steady this time when I opened the box and I had the test done in no time. I set it down to wait and then went back into my room, packing up the old stuff into the brown paper bag that it had been put in at the store. I knew that I had to get rid of it. All of it.

The last test was positive, too. Instead of freaking out, though, I went into operative mode. My mind went onto autopilot as I put the last test in the bag and then headed out of the house, towards the woods that surrounded it. I buried it there in the woods, where no one would be able to find it. Then, I went back into my house and up to my room.

_I'm pregnant._

It was still just so surreal. Part of me hadn't accepted it yet. Most of me, actually. I just couldn't be pregnant. I couldn't.

_You are_.

And I knew that. Still, though, I wondered how I was supposed to deal with it. I mean, obviously nothing like that had ever happened to me before. But, I did know one thing for sure that needed to be done.

I needed to tell Joe.

*Joe*

"Motivation," I said as the junior class took their seats, albeit slowly. Sometimes I wondered how they could move so slowly. Other times, I just attributed it to the fact that they were essentially teenagers and teenagers are lazy. I was sure that I had been lazy at some point during my teenage years, too. And actually, my teenage years hadn't been that long ago. I wasn't even over thirty yet.

"It's why people do the things they do," I said, using the simplest definition that I could come up with. I tried to communicate to them silently that this lesson was important. "_What_, ladies, is almost always tied to _why_. There are six reasons anyone does anything." I remembered Katelyn naming those six things in class one day. "Love. Faith. Greed. Boredom. Fear." I was ticking them off on my fingers, but I paused and took a breath. "Revenge."

It seemed like no one in the room was breathing. All eyes were on me and I knew that they understood that this lesson was important. All lessons that I gave were. "We have gadgets," I continued speaking, using the same words I had used with Katelyn's class that day of last year. "We have comms units and trackers and satellites that can photograph the wings of a fly, but make no mistake, we practice a very old art. Six things, ladies. And they haven't changed in five thousand years."

I turned to the board to continue class. I did happen to notice that Cammie Morgan wasn't really paying attention, but I couldn't bring myself to call her on it. I was sure that she had plenty on her mind. After all, she'd been caught on a train by her Aunt Abby after sneaking off of grounds – which she had been forbidden to do after the first incident with a boy – and someone was after one of her best friends and roommate. Or, so she thought. Zach still hadn't dug up any information on who the Circle was really after. And I have to say, I was quite anxious to find out. As for the information on Matt – what little he had drawn up – I didn't know what to think of that.

The bell was about to ring, so I gave them an assignment to do for homework and then dismissed them right as the bell rang. They filed out and then I knew that I had a few minutes before the next class. I erased the board and when I turned around, Leah walked into the classroom, smiling. She'd been looking a lot better since she'd gotten to see Katelyn at the wedding the previous month.

_Wow; we've been married a whole month._

"Good afternoon, Leah," I greeted with a smile at her. "How are you?"

"Good," she replied. "How are you?"

"Good, thanks."

She held out a postcard, which confused me. Who in the world would send me a postcard? "This came for you in the mail this morning."

"Thank you. Go ahead and take your seat."

"Oh, I had a quick question about the assignment."

I got Leah's question answered and then I looked down at the postcard in my hands. On the front, was a picture of the Eiffel Tower, its lights illuminating the darkness around it with a brilliant sort of glow. Truly beautiful. I flipped it over and on the back was an anagram that took me several minutes to crack.

By the time I had cracked it, class was starting. I set the card aside, but I was anxious for class to be over, which only made it last longer. Finally, the bell rang and I picked up the card again to read the message.

_I need to see you as soon as possible. It's an emergency. – Katelyn_

Oh no.


	27. Chapter 27

27.

*Joe*

The helicopter wasn't flying fast enough.

Sure, it was an enhanced helicopter with unbelievable autopilot and it cut down regular flight time by two hours, but it still wasn't fast enough. I wanted to be there _now_. My wife was… Well, actually, I didn't know if she was hurt or scared or what, but I knew that something was wrong and that was more than enough for me. I had hardly been able to wait until the end of all classes to leave.

_I need to see you as soon as possible. It's an emergency. – Katelyn_

'Emergency' isn't a word that operatives use lightly. In fact, I wouldn't even consider being cornered by twelve arms dealers an emergency. An operative missing three call-ins was an emergency. An operative trapped and dying in a shack in Russia was an emergency. A Code Black was an emergency. Emergency meant that something was excessively wrong, to the point that it was going to be nearly impossible to fix. And I knew that Katelyn wouldn't have used that word lightly. She was strong and independent, which meant that this 'emergency' – whatever it was – was something that she couldn't handle herself. Which meant that it was big.

When the helicopter landed, I all but sprinted off of it and began to head to a street to find a taxi. I found one, gave the guy an address close to my safe house, and we took off, though not fast enough. I couldn't exactly tell him that it was an emergency, though, so I sat back and forced myself to calm down. Freaking out wasn't going to do anything to help Katelyn.

I checked for tailing cars as we drove but, of course, there were none. I paid the driver when we arrived and then I got out and began to walk in a way that would help me detect a tail. The last thing that I wanted to do was lead anyone to Katelyn. And then the idea came that since she'd killed Antonio, maybe one of his guys was after her. But how would they know that it was _her_ specifically? Hacking into the CIA computers was too tough for anyone that didn't have CIA training.

All of this was just confusing.

Finally, I made it to my house and I put the key into the lock, entered the numeric passcode, and opened the door. I rushed up the stairs and to the bedroom, where I knew that I would be able to find Katelyn.

She was sitting on the bed, her knees drawn up to her chest. She wore black sweatpants and a red Under Armor hoodie, with her Nike shoes kicked off and sitting on the floor. Her hair was in a high ponytail and she had on no makeup. She reminded me of a little kid. Trying to hide vulnerability.

"Katelyn?" I whispered softly, moving slowly closer. "Hey, Katelyn, love, what's wrong?"

She looked at me then, her blue eyes swimming with tears. "Please don't hate me, Joe."

"I won't hate you," I said, feeling a little nervous. What could she have done that would make her think that I would hate her? I checked her left hand for signs of Rider's ring, but she wore my ring, not his. She didn't look physically injured in any way; she wasn't wearing a cast or sporting any bruises.

"Yes," she whispered, you will. And a tear fell from her eye.

I moved to the bed and sat down beside her, pulling her into my arms, where she came willingly. Her head buried into the space where my neck and shoulder connected and her arms rested against my chest while mine were wrapped around her tightly, holding her against me. I could smell the perfume that she had used and it comforted me a little. It made me strong enough to ask, "Katelyn, what's going on?"

She sniffled and then took a deep breath before she pulled away from me and looked into my eyes, trying to be brave. "I'm… Joe, I'm…"

"You're what?" I asked, confused. I reached up to wipe the tear trail away from her face.

"I'm pregnant," she whispered.

Pregnant. "You're gonna have a baby?" I asked, even though I'm a highly trained operative with a perfect IQ score and I knew the definition of pregnant.

Katelyn nodded and looked down at her hands, which is when I noticed that she'd been chewing on her fingernails. Some were dangerously low. "I found out yesterday. That's when I sent you the message."

"My baby," I whispered.

She nodded and then looked up at me again, steady tears streaming down her face. "I'm so sorry, Joe."

"For what?" I asked, surprised, reaching out to pull her close to me again so that maybe she wouldn't feel so alone in all of this.

She sniffled and then took a couple of shaky breaths. "Most operatives don't want kids. I know that I never wanted kids. And we didn't plan this and I'm still living with my parents and we aren't living together and I just don't know how I'm supposed to deal with this…"

I held her tighter and kissed the crown of her head. "Katelyn, it's okay, love. You can't apologize for this happening. It's not wrong."

"What are we going to do?" she whispered, sniffling again.

I, too, had been asking myself that question. And then, I came up with an answer. "I'm going to get you out of there, Katelyn. You're going to come and be with me."

"How are you going to do that?"

"I'll send your parents a fake mission," I replied. "Something to lure them away long enough that we can get the things you need loaded onto a helicopter and get out of there. Okay?"

She nodded against my chest and I felt some of the tension in her muscles relax. "When are we doing this?" she asked.

"This weekend," I replied and kissed her hair again.


	28. Chapter 28

28.

*Katelyn*

Packing without my parents noticing hadn't turned out to be any trouble at all. Obviously, I wasn't going to pack my whole room up. I knew that I would never miss most of the stuff, so, I focused mainly on clothes – including my shoes and accessories. I got them all packed away in duffel bags and boxes that I had brought into the house in the dead of the night when everyone else was asleep. I packed some books, too, and a few other things that I just didn't think I would ever be able to leave behind.

I hadn't thrown up anymore and I didn't act pregnant at all. I didn't want to even think about what my parents would do if they found out. The first thing they would do would be to go to Rider, and of course, Rider would be equally shocked since we hadn't done anything but kiss. And when my parents found out that it wasn't Rider's, they would make me tell them in some way or another. And if it got out that I was secretly married to the guy that they had tried so hard to keep me away from… Well, it wouldn't be good. At all.

Acting normal was hard when I knew that at the end of the week, I would be leaving this house and never returning. And I knew that I wasn't going to miss it. At all. We hadn't even been living in the house for all that long, but I still hated it. It didn't feel like a home; it was just a shelter from the wind and the rain and the snow. A place where the wild animals couldn't get in and attack me. Just another place to live for a little while.

And I wouldn't miss my family, as strange as that may sound. But we never really had a family bond. They trained me to be hard emotionally; to never let anyone in. They didn't see me as a daughter; they saw me as an operative to train that would bring honor to the family name. But I had realized a long time ago that honor for them and honor for me were two very different definitions.

And Rider, I wouldn't miss him either. Sure, I had agreed to marry him, but something inside of me had been screaming all along that it wasn't the right thing to do. And Rider, I now knew, was a terrible person. He had broken Joe and I up even though he had to have known how in love we were. He'd been selfish; wanted me for himself. He didn't really care about me because he loved me. His kind of love was warped. He only wanted me because I was some kind of trophy. I was just something that he could control. And I wasn't going to be tha for him or my parents ever again. No, I wouldn't miss my parents or Rider.

"Hey, babe," Rider said as he kissed my neck. It felt so wrong that it was all I could do not to shudder or slap him.

But, I managed to put on a very convincing smile. "Hey."

"Whatcha looking at?"

I had been staring out at the woods, just waiting for my escape. Waiting for the time when I would see a helicopter flying low over the trees. My rescue. Joe, finally coming to take me away from this horrible place so that we could finally be together as husband and wife. So that we could have our version of happily ever after. We both deserved that. "Oh, nothing. Just looking."

"Well," he said, "I'm about to leave for the operation with your parents. You gonna be okay here by yourself?"

"I'll be fine," I answered, turning so that I was facing him. "Don't worry about me." _Because, really, I'm none of your concern._

He smiled at me. "Okay." Then, he picked a hair off of his navy polo. His curly blond hair was neatly trimmed and his blue eyes were a shade lighter than mine. Basically, I was trapping an image of him, just in case I ever needed an image that could make me angry in a split second. I smiled the whole time, though.

My parents came in, then, both of them wearing casual clothes, like Rider. My mom wore jeans and a white blouse while my father wore jeans and a T-shirt with a German phrase on it.

"We'll be back sometime next week," my mother said and smiled at me. "Don't worry, Katelyn. I'm sure you'll be anxious with Rider being gone."

"We'll take care of him," my dad winked.

I forced a laugh. "Thanks, Dad."

They had no idea that I could care less if Rider fell out of the helicopter and into the Indian Ocean. I didn't care if Rider never showed back up at the house. And even if he did, I wouldn't be there waiting for him.

My parents each gave me a hug and then told Rider to be ready to leave in a couple of minutes. They left and then Rider kissed me, which forced me to kiss back. When he pulled away, I felt like I seriously could vomit all over his shoes. I didn't though; I needed to be a good operative until the very end.

"I'll hurry home," he said.

_Please don't. _"Please do."

He kissed me one more time and then left the room. When I heard the front door open and shut behind him, I went into the bathroom and scrubbed his disgusting taste out of my mouth. When I was done, I looked at myself in the mirror and smiled. _Won't be long now._ Then, I moved into my room and changed into jeans and a T-shirt, and then pulled my hair up into a ponytail.

My escape clothes.

And boy was I ever ready to escape to my freedom. To my life with Joe.

To my happiness.


	29. Chapter 29

29.

*Katelyn*

I finished my bowl of cereal and put the bowl in the dishwasher. A glance at the clock told me that it was almost time, so I continued with my task of bringing all of my bags and boxes downstairs so that the load up time would be much quicker. Finally, all of the things I was taking with me were downstairs and ready to go. I glanced around at all of the bags and boxes and I smiled. _Finally, I'm getting out of here._

I refixed my ponytail and then slipped the rings out of my pocket. My wedding ring and my engagement ring. The set of rings that stated my love for Joe. And that stated his love for me.

Since I still had about twenty minutes, I took a final stroll through the house that I had been living in for about six months. The only thing that looked different was my room, and that was because some of my stuff had been packed up. I wondered how long it would take for my parents to figure it out; if they were even able to. I wondered if they would try to hack into the CIA database for information. Or maybe they would think that Antonio's men had done it. Maybe they'd go after them. Or maybe they wouldn't care, though I doubted that one. They wouldn't like to be outsmarted.

A glance at the digital alarm clock on the bedside table told me that it was about time. I went downstairs and took out a bottle of water, draining it all in a few seconds. Then, I went to the bathroom and then rechecked to make sure that I had everything.

And then there was a knock on the back door.

A grin spread across my face and I threw open the door to see Joe standing on the other side, wearing jeans and a red T-shirt, his hair messy as always. I threw myself into his arms and he laughed before pressing a quick kiss to my lips. "So, it worked?"

"Duh," I pulled away and gestured to the bags and boxes that were in a pile on the kitchen linoleum. "There ya go. I brought everything downstairs."

His eyebrows scrunched together over his bright eyes. "You shouldn't have done that. Those were probably heavy…"

I rolled my eyes and kissed him. "I'm pregnant, Joe; not crippled."

"Still-"

I cut him off by wheeling around and heading for the pile. "If it makes you feel any better, I'll only carry the bags. They're lighter. You can carry the heavy boxes."

He sighed. "Fine."

Together, we loaded everything up into the helicopter. We finished in about five minutes, and then Joe set the coordinates for the ride home. He sat in the back with me, and we both stared out the large window, me leaning back against his strong chest, his arms wrapped around me, his hands over my stomach. "I love you," he whispered, pressing a kiss to my neck.

"I love you, too," I replied.

"And I just want you to know," he said. "I'm okay with this baby."

"Really?" I asked, surprised. I had figured that he wasn't too happy with that fact, despite the way he had been so comforting back at the safe house in Paris.

"Yeah," he told me quietly, his hands moving in small circles on my stomach, above where his child lay. "I mean, maybe it isn't all that ideal, but it's still incredible."

"Incredible?"

"Yeah," he replied. "I mean, you're carrying our child in here. It's amazing."

"You're really okay with this?"

"Yes," he whispered, pressing a light kiss to my neck. "I am _very_ okay with this."

"I love you," I said as a grin spread over my face.

"I love you, too."

A couple of hours later, we were coming upon Roseville. "I figured we were going to the Paris safe house," I mused.

"Nah," he said. "I want you close to me. You'll be staying at a motel here. It's small and it's not the Marriott or anything, but I checked it out and it's really nice and homey. Free breakfast every morning and the rooms are very clean."

"Sounds nice," I said.

"Should be. And then, when I get some time, I'll move you to another safe house that's not too far from here. It's currently being used by Zach, the guy from Blackthorne that I told you about before. But I'll stock up on everything that you'll need there and then we'll get you moved there as soon as everything is ready."

"Sounds good."

"Oh," he said, "before I forget; I got you a doctor's appointment in Roseville in a couple of weeks."

"Oh."

"You won't have to worry about medical records or anything. I took care of it all. Your name there will be Mrs. Ally Henshaw."

"My alias," I said with a smile. "One of them, anyway. So you're Mr. Henshaw?"

"George Henshaw," he said with a nod. "Naturally."

I laughed and the helicopter began to make its descent. "We're not far from the hotel," he said. "It's about a two minute walk."

I nodded slowly and when the helicopter landed, we both carted bags and boxes to and from the hotel room, for which he already had the key. After about twenty minutes, we had everything in the room and I glanced around, noting the nice looking carpet and the comfortable looking bed with red covers.

"It's nice," I commented and then yawned, finally realizing how tired I was.

Joe smiled as he moved to kiss me. "You should go to bed."

"I agree," I said, moving to find my pajamas in one of the bags. I found them and tossed them on the bed, then turned to Joe. He was smiling at me and I couldn't help it, I moved to him and kissed him with as much passion as I could muster. He was surprised at first, but he quickly began to kiss me back.

"Are you sure this is okay?" he asked as I peeled off his shirt. "With the baby and everything?"

"It's fine," I assured him and then he picked me up and carried me to the bed.


	30. Chapter 30

30.

*Katelyn*

"Well, Mrs. Henshaw," Dr. Currie said with a smile. "Everything appears perfectly normal with your pregnancy. Do you have any complaints or questions for me?"

I shook my head. "No; thank you."

"Okay," he made a little note on his clipboard. "Well, I'll want to see you again in a few months."

"Okay."

"You can make an appointment with Cheryl at the front desk, and we'll get you in." He smiled at me. "See you then."

"Thank you, Dr. Currie." I said and then left the room, heading for the desk where the secretary, Cheryl, sat. She smiled at me and brushed a strand of blond hair behind her ear. "When do you want your next appointment to be?"

I made an appointment with her and then paid her for the current visit. After I left, I stopped by the McDonalds to grab something to eat and then headed back for the motel. It was getting late; the sun was setting and casting pink and orange hues across the sky.

I put the key into the lock and opened the door to my room, stepping inside and closing it behind me. And then I felt the arms crashing me to the wall. But they weren't Joe's arms. It wasn't Joe's cologne that I smelled. And the eyes that stared into mine were blue, not green.

"Rider," I choked out, gasping for breath.

He stepped away, letting me crumple to the floor, and turned on a lamp for better lighting. I could see his full profile then, down to the curly hair and the T-shirt that he was wearing. I saw the cold look in his eyes as they flashed to the rings on my left hand. "Katelyn."

"What are you doing here?" I asked, still gasping for breath. Being pregnant had made me weaker than normal, and I was struggling to get my breath back.

"I thought you'd been kidnapped," he said, sitting on the bed as if it were his. "And then I went into your room and noticed that a lot of your stuff had been packed and taken with you. And what kind of kidnapper would let you take bags with you? And then I figured it out. Those missions… were they even real?"

I breathed in my nose and out my mouth.

"Joe Solomon," he spat the name. "I knew it was him. It had to be. He'd found you again even after we hid you away so carefully. He'd made you remember things that you weren't supposed to. He's made you his," he said as he looked at the rings.

"I love him, Rider," I said finally, supporting myself against the wall for support as I stood up. "I love him more than anything. And he loves me, too."

This only seemed to make him angrier. "I love you!" he roared. "Why couldn't you just be happy with me?"

"You _don't_ love me!" I yelled back. "If you'd loved me, you would have let me be happy with Joe!"

"If you can't be happy with me," he said in a voice that sent shivers down my spine, "then you won't be happy with _anyone_."

He lunged for me and I moved just in time, sending him crashing into the wall. I jumped over the bed and tried to get to the door, but he was in front of it and blocking it before I could get there. He stood to his full height and glared at me with eyes full of hatred that shouldn't belong to someone so young. "Stop trying to run, Katelyn."

I backed away from him. "Don't do this, Rider."

He smiled, but it wasn't a kind smile. It was malicious. "Why not? You deserve this. You said you'd marry me, Katelyn. But you married _him_. What makes him better than me?"

"The fact that he genuinely loves me," I answered. "He wouldn't have cared if I had chosen you. He just wants me to be happy. That's real love, Rider. Not the kind of lust that you have."

"Lust," Rider scoffed. "I love you, Katelyn."

"No, you don't," I said coolly. "And even if you did, Rider, _I don't love you_."

"Then you won't love anyone," he growled and lunged for me. This time, I was too slow. He grabbed me around the middle and threw me onto the bed. I began to claw at him automatically, since I couldn't fight any other way because of the hold that he had me in. He slammed his body into mine, effectively knocking the breath out of me.

I couldn't do anything as his lips moved over my neck. Just as I began to get my breath back, he began to tear at my clothes.

_Oh my God, he wants to rape and then kill me_.

I began to squirm, but he managed to rip my shirt off anyway. And then he saw the slight bulge in my stomach. "You're pregnant," he muttered in shock. "With his baby."

I tried to push him away but finding out about my pregnancy had just made him angrier. He began to hit me, causing stars to dance before my eyes. "Rider, stop," I moaned. The only thing on my mind was the baby. I didn't want anything to happen to it.

Suddenly, the hotel room door burst open and Rider's weight left my body. I tried to blink away the stars, but more kept coming. I felt like I was floating above my body, like it wasn't real.

_The baby. It has to be okay. It just has to be._

"Katelyn!"

"Joe?" I groaned.

Joe's face came into focus then. "Katelyn! Katelyn, can you hear me?"

"The baby," I whispered softly.

He nodded and covered me with a blanket before scooping me up into his arms. As he began to walk, I caught sight of Rider's lifeless body in a corner of the room.

Rider's dead.

_The baby_.

"Joe…"

"Shh, love," he whispered. "It's going to be okay."

And I fell out of consciousness.


	31. Chapter 31

31.

*Joe*

I sat in a chair in the waiting room, staring down at my hands, which were clasped between my knees, close to the floor. The room was cold, but I didn't even notice. Sure, I knew the title of every magazine on the table and had memorized the faces of everyone that had walked through the waiting room since I'd been there, but I wasn't totally alert. Part of my mind was devoted to thoughts of Katelyn.

And thoughts of our baby.

When we'd first shown up in the ER, I had fabricated a story of my wife falling and hitting her head on the coffee table. I had told them that she was pregnant and that she'd been unconscious when I found her, which had sent the doctors and nurses into a frenzy. I'd heard so many people speaking at once that I wondered how they could get anything done above the din of voices.

"I need oxygen in here."

"Check the fetal heartbeat."

"Pulse is too fast."

"Blood pressure is too high."

"We need to get her to an MRI."

"No detectable blood loss."

"Sir, we need you to leave," a slightly overweight nurse with a bun of brown hair told me, touching my arm gently.

"I can't," I whispered softly. "My wife…"

She smiled sadly at me as if she understood. "I know, sir. We'll take care of her, I promise." And I had let her lead me to the waiting room, where I had taken a seat and waited. Zach had come in not long after that. "What do you want me to do?" he'd asked.

"I killed him," I answered simply. "He's back in the motel room."

"I'll get rid of the body," Zach had promised and then gestured to the closed doors of the rooms down the hall. "Is she going to be okay?"

"Probably," I said. "But I don't know about the baby."

Zach's expression turned sad. "I'm so sorry, Joe."

"I want her in that safe house as soon as she's released form here," I said. "It was stupid of me to stick her in a motel in Roseville."

"It wasn't stupid," he said. "You left no traces. This guy was just good. Where should I dump the body?"

"Anywhere you want," I said. "In the dump or in the woods somewhere. Let the buzzards have him."

"I'll get it done," he said. "And I'll make sure the safe house is ready for Katelyn."

"Thanks," I said. "And would you mind moving everything from the motel room to the safe house? I know that's a lot of work…"

"Nah," he said, waving it away. "It won't be hard at all. I'll get it done by tomorrow morning."

"Thank you. And Zach?"

"Yeah?"

"I still want you there," I'd told him. "To guard her."

He nodded. "I'll do it."

"Thank you."

"Anytime," he said and smiled before leaving.

I snapped out of the memory when a nurse in pink scrubs approached me. "Mr. Henshaw?"

I looked up. "Yes?"

"Your wife is stable. You can see her now."

I stood up so fast that the nurse blinked a couple of times. "What about the baby?"

She smiled comfortingly at me. "The baby's fine. They're both fine."

I breathed out a sigh of relief and followed her down the hall and into Katelyn's room. A doctor was at her bedside, asking her questions and writing her answers down. He smiled at her, promised to check in soon, and then left, along with the nurse, leaving me alone in Katelyn's room.

She gave me a timid smile. "Hey."

I smiled back at her. "Hey."

"So, the baby's okay," she said. "I just had a concussion and they were worried-"

"I know," I said as I approached the bed. "The nurse said that you're both going to be fine."

She nodded. "I know. I'm so relieved."

I sat down. "Katelyn… Rider…"

"He's dead," she said and smiled at me. "I know. I saw his body."

"And you're okay?"

She nodded. "I hated him, Joe. Sure, he used to be my best friend, but the guy that used to be my best friend and the one that showed up in the motel tonight are two totally different people. I didn't even know him anymore, Joe."

I nodded slowly and sat down gently on the bed beside her, taking her small hand in mine. I stroked the back of her hand with my thumb and breathed out. "I was so scared, Katelyn. I was just going to stop in to visit you and I come in and he's there… attacking you…"

"How did you stop him?" she whispered. "He was so strong; so angry..."

"Have you forgotten who I am?" I asked with a smile. "I'm Joe freaking Solomon."

She laughed and I sighed, serious again. "It scared me so much."

"I know," she said. "I was really scared, too."

"Katelyn," I said, picking out my words very carefully so that she didn't think I was calling her incompetent. "I want you to go to the safe house as soon as you're released from here."

Her eyebrows furrowed together. "Why? I thought that everything wasn't ready yet and-"

"I know," I said quickly. "But it's getting taken care of as we speak."

She didn't ask any questions. "Okay."

"I just want you to stay safe," I said softly, kissing her on the temple. "I need to keep you and the baby safe."

She nodded. "You know that I wouldn't be agreeing to hide if it weren't for this baby."

I smiled, knowing that it was true. If Katelyn wasn't pregnant, there was no way in hell that she would stay in a safe house to be protected. She would want to be out there fighting. She was far too independent for that. "I know."

The nurse that had led me to Katelyn's room came in then. "I need to give you a quick shot, dear. For the baby."

Katelyn nodded.

The nurse administered the shot quickly and then left. Katelyn's eyelids began to droop and I smiled at her. After a quick kiss, I said, "Sleep tight."

"I love you," she whispered.

And she was already drifting when I replied, "I love you, too."


	32. Chapter 32

32.

*Joe*

I still shuddered every time that I thought about it. She had _kissed _me. How could she have possibly thought that I like her? When had I ever given her any clues? Sure, I had acted pleasant around her because I'm an operative, and therefore, a very good actor. But I hadn't wanted her to kiss me.

"What's wrong?" Katelyn asked me, looking away form the window. The trees sped by and I knew that we were close.

"Abby Cameron kissed me."

Katelyn laughed, then. "I hope you didn't shove her away or anything. It might hurt her feelings."

"I stood there in shock," I admitted.

Katelyn laughed. "Of course you did. How long did it last?"

"Eighty seven seconds."

"Wow," she teased and then squeezed my hand. "I think I told you once that you're irresistible. I hope you believe me now."

"You're not angry?" I asked, smiling and looking over at her.

She rolled her eyes. "Let her have her crush."

I laughed and pulled off of the road. "We're here."

She looked around the woods. "I'm guessing the real house is about a mile away. And you have all kinds of trip wires and cameras and such."

"I had Zach update the security," I admitted. "Just follow my lead, okay?"

I managed to get her through the minefield safely and then she smiled at the cabin. "It's cute. And so secluded. I like it."

"Good," I replied. "Because there's no telling how long you're going to have to stay here."

She shivered because winter was coming and it was getting cold outside. "Come on," I said, putting an arm around her shoulders and leading her inside. Zach was sitting on the couch watching something on the TV, but he stood up when we came in and smiled, "Hey, Joe."

"Zach," I replied. "Meet Katelyn, my wife."

"Hey," Zach said, holding out a hand to Katelyn.

Katelyn smiled at him and shook his hand. "Hi."

I'd already told her, but I repeated it. "Zach's your security detail."

"I got everything you asked for," he said, gesturing to the wall, where a new shelf stood, stocked with all kinds of DVDs. There was no cable, so I had asked him to buy a lot of DVDs to watch so that Katelyn wouldn't get bored.

"There's more in the master bedroom," he said. "And I stocked up the kitchen with all sorts of food, especially the ones you asked for. Oh, and I cleaned it all this morning."

"Good work," I nodded in approval.

Zach coughed and then said, "I'm going to go run an errand, if that's okay."

"I'll walk you out," I said.

"Nice meeting you," he said to Katelyn.

She smiled. "You too."

*Katelyn*

The master bedroom was very nice. The bed in the middle was king sized with a homemade quilt on it for cover. The floors were wood and a TV hung on the wall beside the bed. A door led to the bathroom and another door led to the closet, where I found all of my clothes already hung up.

I observed the titles of some of the DVDs on the shelves on the opposite wall. There were hundreds of them, and I knew that I wouldn't get bored.

_Phantom of the Opera_

_Robin Hood_

_The Karate Kid_

_Eight Below_

_Dinner for Schmucks _

_The Bourne Trilogy_

_Avatar_

_Pride and Prejudice_

_Beauty and the Beast_

_The Lion King_

_The Apple Dumpling Gang_

_Mulan_

_Anastasia_

_Ocean's Eleven_

_Shrek_

_Harry Potter_

_Silence of the Lambs_

_The Ring_

_Ever After_

_Never Been Kissed_

_Liar, Liar_

_The Truman Show_

The list just went on and on. Some of my favorites were there, some I had never seen before. I wondered how long I was going to be confined to the safe house.

I walked to the other shelf, which was filled with books. Some of them were regular books, and others were books for operatives. At least I wouldn't have to watch movies all of the time. I could read a book or take a walk or wade around in the water that I'd seen coming in. Of course, wading in the water wouldn't be a good idea until it unfroze… Sometime in March, maybe. Or April.

Joe walked into the room and I turned to face him. "This safe house is nice. Thanks for doing all of this for me."

He smiled. "It's the least I can do."

"When's Zach coming back?"

"Tomorrow morning," he answered. "That's when I have to leave."

"Oh." I knew that Joe was leaving to try to track down members of the Circle. We only had one more night together.

He smiled and approached me as if he had read my mind. "I'll come back as soon as I can, love. I promise. And Zach can be a go-between. We'll be meeting up every now and then."

I nodded slowly. "I'm going to miss you."

"I'll miss you, too," he said softly and then pressed his lips to mine gently. He'd been more gentle than ever with me ever since I'd told him that I was pregnant. I wrapped my arms around his neck and his were wrapped around my lower back, holding me against him.

I moved my hands down his chest and worked at the buttons on his shirt. Once it was unbuttoned, I slid it off of his shoulders. He pulled away from me ever so slightly. "Are you sure?"

"We're married," I said confusedly.

He exhaled a laugh. "No, I mean, is this going to be okay for the baby?"

"Yes," I said. "The baby is going to be fine."

He moved his mouth back to mine and moved his hands under my shirt. Soon enough, my shirt was removed and he set me gently on the bed, hovering over me, careful not to put any weight on me. But I wanted him closer and I clutched at him, trying to communicate that it was okay.

He took his time and afterwards, I fell into his arms underneath the sheets. "I love you," He breathed and I smiled and said, "I love you, too."


	33. Chapter 33

33.

*Joe*

I boarded the plane to London in my disguise. According to my passport, I was George Henshaw from South Carolina. But I desperately wanted to be Joe Solomon, at home with my wife. Still, I had my mission in mind and I sat in my designated seat, ready for takeoff. I could have just taken a helicopter or something, but I had no idea how to get one now that everyone was after me. Did they honestly think that I was still involved with the Circle? I had walked away a very long time ago. And I hadn't looked back since.

But I couldn't tell them that. Because if I tried to talk to someone in the CIA, they would arrest me and not give me a chance to explain. Even some of my best friends would turn me in: Abe Baxter, Abby Cameron, even Rachel Morgan, most likely. She'd probably been told that I was responsible for the death of her husband. But I wasn't. I would never have hurt Matt. He was like my brother. He helped me at a time when I had no idea who to turn to. He was as serious about defeating the Circle as I was.

The plane began to take off and I sat back in my seat in first class, staring out the window at the morning sky. I wondered what Katelyn was doing at the moment. Was she even awake yet? Before she'd been pregnant, she was just like any other spy – hardly able to sleep past eight no matter what. Now, though, she was tired a lot because of the pregnancy and so she liked to sleep in. If she was sleeping, I wondered what she was dreaming about. Did she still have nightmares about Rider attacking her? Or were her dreams happy?

I wondered what Katelyn would do after she woke up. What movie she'd watch, what book she'd read. I hoped that Zach had enough common sense to make sure that if she went outside, she didn't stay there for long. The cold could be dangerous for her and the baby. But, I knew that Zach would do his best to take care of her. I just wondered about the times that he would be away from her. Would she be safe then? Surely. The defenses around the house were rock solid. She should be safe.

_Katelyn, I miss you_, I said in my mind. _I miss you so much. I wish I was with you right now, watching you sleep._ I could see her in my mind, wrapped up in my arms in a deep sleep, her dark hair splayed across the pillow and her chest rising and falling. I knew that she missed me just as much as I missed her, and it upset me. But, I looked down at the ring that I was wearing on my left ring finger and I heard her voice.

"_I, Katelyn, take thee, Joe, to be my wedded husband. To have and to hold from this day forward. For better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honor, and cherish; 'til death do us part."_

And those words gave me all the courage that I needed.

*Katelyn*

I woke up and sat up slowly, putting a hand on the bump on my stomach. I got out of bed and headed to the bathroom for a shower, as had become my daily ritual. The hot water relaxed me and after my shower, I pulled on sweatpants and a T-shirt, my daily attire.

I pulled my hair up into a messy bun because these days, I simply didn't want to deal with makeup and hair. Out in the kitchen, there was a note from Zach on the table, telling me that he had left already. He was supposed to be going to meet Joe somewhere. I threw the note away and then took the toaster waffles out of the freezer.

After my breakfast, I decided to watch a movie, so I stared at the shelves forever, trying to pick one. Finally, I decided on _Pride and Prejudice_, and I settled down on the couch to watch it, pulling a quilt over me for comfort.

About halfway through the movie, my mind began to wander. I wondered where Joe was and how he was doing. I wondered if he had found any clues and I wondered if he was hurt in any way. I missed him so much that it hurt sometimes. I knew that he probably missed me as much as I missed him, but I knew that it was different. He probably felt guilty for leaving me behind, but I felt really guilty for not being able to go with him. In some ways, my pregnancy was a total handicap.

But I wouldn't take it back for the world. There was just something about carrying Joe's baby inside of me that made me feel special. I already loved the baby that was growing inside of me, and sometimes I found myself trying to guess what it would look like. Soon, I knew, I would be able to find out if it was a boy or a girl, and I just couldn't wait; I was so excited. I knew that the gender really wouldn't matter to me or Joe, but it was still exciting to find out.

Sometimes, I could picture the little boy or girl playing in the living room with Joe. Or picture Joe holding him or her. I kept having these wonderful images of us all together as a family and it always made me smile. I made promises to the baby inside of me. Promises that I loved it and was going to take care of it.

I placed a hand on my stomach then and whispered, "Daddy loves you, too, you know. And he's going to come home."

And I swear that I felt something inside of me, then, agreeing with me.


	34. Chapter 34

34.

*Joe*

I kept a grip on Cammie's hand as I ran. "They're coming, aren't they?" she said as she ran along with me. "The Circle…they're here."

"Ms. Morgan," I replied. "We only have a minute until they find us, so you have to listen to me very carefully."

"Are you on comms?" she asked. "You have to tell the Baxters you have me. We have to call in an extraction team and-"

"Cammie, listen!" I commanded and we stopped there in the middle of the drawbridge, right where I had planned. My voice sounded off, even to me, but I knew that's what I deserved for going off of no sleep and being terrified every second that someone was going to shoot me and I would never be able to go home to Katelyn.

I was scared for Katelyn.

I took Cammie by her shoulders. "Cammie, we only have a minute until they find us, and then they'll take you away-"

"No!" she shouted.

"Listen! Any day now they're going to take you back to school, and when you get there, you have to-"

"Hello, Joe," Abe Baxter said as he stepped towards the bridge. He looked like the highly trained operative that he was, moving in for the target.

But I didn't look at him. I was still looking at Cammie. "Cammie, listen to me!"

"Come on, Joe," Abe called again. "Turn yourself in. Let the girl go."

How could they think that I wanted to hurt Cammie? Were they honestly that stupid?

"It's okay, Mr. Baxter," Cammie said, turning to face Abe. "This is Mr. Solomon. _Joe Solomon_. He's-"

"I know who he is, Cammie," Abe said as he inched closer. "And he's going to come with me now – fly to Langley and get this mess straightened out."

Yeah, right. Over my dead body. "Cammie!" I shook her, my voice turning urgent. She needed to know the truth. "Don't listen to him. Listen to me!"

"Joe, you've got to let her go."

Grace Baxter then stepped out of the shadows. "Cammie, sweetheart, I want you to walk over to me now."

She didn't move.

"Cammie, now!" Grace ordered, but Cammie still didn't move.

"Her father was my best friend!" I said loudly.

Abe stepped closer. "I know."

"This is crazy, Abe," I said, shaking my head.

"Sure it is," he answered. "But protocols exist for a reason, Joe. We know-"

"We know how this ends!" I shouted angrily.

"Not this time," he said. "Not necessarily. Not if you let Cammie go, and come with me."

"Mr. Solomon…" Cammie said. "What's going on? Why are you here? Why didn't you meet Zach? Why do they keep looking at you like… Why are they talking to you like you're the enemy?"

"The CIA has some questions for him, Cammie," Abe said. "That's all. He just needs to answer some questions."

"You're gonna try to turn me in, Abe? Grace? Are you going to cuff me in front of Bex and Cammie?"

"You know we have to."

"Mom!" Bex cried.

I didn't listen to anything else, then. I had to get my promise. "Follow the pigeons." That's all I asked. And finally, Cammie promised.

"Okay, Joe," Abe said as he stepped closer. "You talked to Cammie. You got your promise. Now, come on. Let's go get this settled."

But I backed away instead, locking eyes with Cammie. "The pigeons, Cammie."

"The pigeons," she repeated.

And then I ran toward the rising edge of the bridge and propelled myself over the top, flying and then falling. Before anyone knew what was happening, I was gone.

*Katelyn*

"What do you mean?" I demanded of Zach, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Just what I said," he replied, pacing the room and gripping his dark brown hair. "I just don't understand it. How can they think that he's still involved in the Circle?"

"He's trying to help them," I said softly. "Don't they realize that?"

Zach shook his head. "They don't care. They don't know."

"So what happens now?" I asked, putting a hand over my stomach.

Zach noticed. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Zach." It was just a nervous habit. "What's going on with Joe? Where is he now?"

"I don't know." Zach seemed frustrated by this fact. "I thought that Cammie might know where he was, but now I know that she had no idea… But Joe and I had another meeting time set up for next week. I'll go and hope that he shows up."

I nodded slowly. "Okay."

"You can't go," he said as if reading my mind. "Joe would kill me."

I sighed in defeat. "I know that, Zach." And I did. I knew that it was far too dangerous for me to venture out. It was far too dangerous for me to get involved in anything that involved too much physical exertion. If I wanted to keep this baby safe – which I did – then I had to stay right where I was and let myself be protected. "I'm just worried about him."

Zach plopped into the recliner. "I know. He's like my older brother. I know."

I nodded slowly. "But he's a good operative, Zach."

A small smile appeared on Zach's face. "The best."

I nodded. "You and I both know that he wouldn't have walked onto that bridge unless he had a sure way of getting off."

Zach nodded. "Yeah, I know."

I let out a breath and put my other hand on my stomach. _It's going to be okay. I promise, it's going to be okay._

"What time should we leave for your appointment tomorrow?" Zach asked.

He'd been escorting me to all of my doctor's appointments since I'd been in the safe house. "Probably around noon."

He nodded. "I'm going to go ahead and go to bed. Do you need anything before I go?"

I shook my head. "No; I'm fine."

He nodded and stood. "Good night."

"Good night, Zach."

He left and I stared out the window at the night sky. _Joe, please be careful._


	35. Chapter 35

35.

*Katelyn*

"Hey, are you ready?" Zach asked from the doorway.

I finished straightening my hair and unplugged my Chi. "Yeah, I'm ready."

"Why'd you wear actual clothes?" he asked. "What's wrong with sweatpants and a T-shirt?"

"I don't really want to look like crap while I'm at the doctor's office," I answered as I stood. My stomach fluttered and I put a hand over it in surprise.

"You okay?" Zach asked, instantly concerned.

I smiled. "Yes, Zach. And even if I wasn't, we're about to go see the doctor anyway."

Zach smiled. "Guess you're right. Let's go."

"So," I asked as I got into the car. "How's Cammie?" Zach had revealed his feelings towards Cammie to me one night when we'd been talking. I thought that it was absolutely adorable, of course. And when he said that he couldn't marry her because of what he was, I just told him to look at Joe and me.

"She's safe," he answered. "For now."

"None of us are safe all the time, Zach," I answered. "Not even civilians. There are muggers and diseases and...Well…look at nine-eleven."

He shrugged. "I guess you're right. I just get worried, ya know?"

"Yeah," I said with a knowing smile. "I know." Zach had come to be something like a little brother to me and we had a teasing sort of relationship.

"What's it like?" he asked after about twenty minutes of just listening to songs on the radio.

I looked at him and raised my eyebrows. "What's _what_ like?"

"Being pregnant," he answered.

I laughed. "Why would you want to know that?"

"If Cammie and I ever…" he took a deep breath, concentrating far too hard on the road. "I just… Are you scared?"

"Every day," I answered. "But for Joe. And for my kid, I guess. I mean, it's going to be dangerous for them, going to Blackthorne or Gallagher and growing up in this kind of life. And I'm scared that maybe Joe won't…" I took a shaky breath, "make it back. I don't' want my child to grow up without a father. But it's a risk you take."

He nodded slowly. "I just wonder…"

"Being pregnant is amazing," I said, answering his first question. "It feels great to have this baby growing inside of me."

"And you're okay with sitting out of all of this fighting?" he asked with disbelief.

"I wish that I could be with Joe," I said. "But I don't want to endanger our baby. And he doesn't want that either."

Zach pulled into the hospital's parking lot and we found a space near the door. It didn't take long for me to get in since I had an appointment, and I quickly changed into my green gown. Dr. Currie came in, looking the same as always: white coat over green scrubs, salt and pepper hair, and a wide smile. "How are you feeling today?"

"Good," I replied with a smile. 

"Great," he answered. "And everything's okay with the pregnancy? No complications?"

"No," I answered. "Everything's fine."

"Good," he said. "Ready to find out the gender?"

My smile turned into a grin. "Most definitely."

During the prep time, I kept trying to guess, but it just went back and forth about a jillion times. It didn't matter what the gender was, but I knew that knowing would make me feel even closer to it.

"Okay," he said. "Just a couple of seconds…"

I held my breath, my muscles tensing in anticipation.

And then Dr. Currie smiled and said, "Congratulations, Mrs. Henshaw. It's a girl."

And then silent tears of happiness ran down my face.

"Are you okay?" Zach asked as we walked out to the car. "You look like you've been crying. Is everything okay with the baby?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "It's a girl."

He smiled. "Congratulations."

"Thanks," I replied and got into the vehicle. "Will you… I mean, would you mind telling Joe the next time that you two meet?"

Zach nodded. "Of course I will."

"Thanks."

"Sure," he said as he backed out of the parking space. "Anything else you want me to tell him?"

I shook my head. "No. I think that news will be overwhelming enough."

*Joe*

I waited on the park bench, wearing my disguise. I was dressed as an old man, in a big red winter coat and a mustache that was beginning to itch. I made sure to stretch a lot, too, like old men often did. And I was doubly aware of my surroundings, just in case. I already had several escape routes planned.

And then I saw Zach, except he didn't look like Zach. He was wearing that same disguise from Pennsylvania, the crazy white hair and wild eyebrows. He wore a suit, and I personally thought that he looked like a professor. He plopped down beside me. "Hey there, Joe."

"How's my wife?" I asked immediately.

"Good," he said. "Let's get business through first, though. I have big news for you today. Have you found anything out?"

I turned serious. "Not much, I have to admit. But I hear that Cammie will be out in the open sometime soon and I have to go out too. I have to make sure that she's safe."

"When?" Zach demanded. "I'm going too."

I knew that I wouldn't be able to keep him away, so I told him the date, time, and place. He nodded. "I'll be there. Anything else I should know?"

"Katelyn's parents died."

"What?" Zach asked in shock. "How?"

I recounted the tale to him and he shook his head slowly. "That's sad, really."

"Yeah," I agreed. "It is."

"Do you want the news from Katelyn now?" he asked me, managing a smile.

I smiled, too. "Is it about the baby?"

He nodded. "She had another appointment. The baby's healthy."

"That's great," I said eagerly. As long as the baby was healthy, everything was fine.

"Yeah," Zach agreed. "And it's a girl."

And I had to take a few breaths before I could say, "Thank you," in a choked up sort of voice.


	36. Chapter 36

**AN: Sorry guys! I had to have surgery on my wrist. But, it's feeling a lot better and I should be able to update more quickly now!**

36.

*Katelyn*

I finished making the chicken and dumplings and sat down with a bowl for myself. As I looked down at the rather large portion that I had in a bowl for myself, I smiled and put a hand on my stomach. "You know, baby girl, I really hope that I don't get used to eating this much. Because I would really rather not be one of those women that still weighs a lot after their pregnancy."

I ate all of my food and put my dish in the dishwasher. Then, I put the leftovers in a container so that Zach could have them when he came home from his meeting with Joe. I couldn't wait to hear how he was doing with everything.

An hour later, Zach came in the front door as I was watching _Shrek_ on the TV. Immediately, I turned the TV off and sat up straighter, the quilt still wrapped around me. "How is he?"

"Joe's fine," Zach said as he hung his coat up on the coat hanger just inside the door. "And he said that he's really happy about the baby being a girl. Not that it would have mattered if it was a boy."

I laughed. "Of course. Anything else?"

Zach's face fell and he sighed as he sank into the recliner. "Yes."

I was immediately concerned. "Is it Cammie?"

"Well, there's something about Cammie, but that's not it."

"What about Cammie?" I asked.

He waved it away. "She's going to be out in the open for a CoveOps exercise. Nothing major. Joe and I are both going."

I nodded. "What's the other news?"

He took a breath and looked at me with green eyes that were about two shades darker than Joe's. "It's your parents," he said. "They're dead."

"Dead?" I asked. "How? What happened?"

"They were in Libya and there was a bombing… The CIA pulled their bodies out of the wreckage. I'm so sorry, Katelyn."

I shook my head, my hands resting on my stomach. "Thank you, Zach. But, you know – and this may sound weird -, but I was never really close to them. I just…can't get upset that they're dead. I'm not happy that they're dead, I just…"

"I know what you mean," he nodded. And I knew that he did. He hated his mom more than I'd hated my parents, though. She was one of the leaders of the organization that was after the girl that he was in love with. Of course he was angry.

I sighed and stood up, slowly. "I'm going to go ahead and go to bed."

"Okay," he nodded. "Are you okay?"

I nodded and gave him a small smile. "I'm fine. Just need to think for a while."

He nodded again. "Call if you need something."

"I will. And there's some chicken and dumplings in the refrigerator. Heat it for about a minute and thirty and see how they feel."

He smiled. "Thanks."

"Sure. 'Night."

"Good night."

When I got to my room and closed the door, I walked over to the bed and climbed in, covering myself in the two quilts that were on top of the sheets. I thought about my parents, then; my strong, brave parents. The parents that had always been so cold to me. But the parents that had surely loved me in some way. Otherwise, they would have given me to an adoption agency. And obviously, my mom hadn't wanted an abortion because I was alive. They had raised me and trained me to be just like them. But fate had made me turn out a little differently.

Sure, I'd hated them most of the time, but there had been a couple of times when they'd really given good advice.

One story in particular stuck out in my mind.

_The seven-year-old me stood beside my father, resisting the urge to clutch at his leg. We were standing in the courtyard of a school for Kung Fu, taught by one of the best masters in the world. You didn't just get accepted; it was a private school; very elite. Very few people knew about it. And my father had trained there, so naturally, he wanted me to train there, too._

_As I watched the small class go through drills, though, I got a little fearful. I knew Tai Kwan Do, but that was it, and Kung Fu looked a lot different. Faster. More powerful. Scarier. _

_And the scariest part was that I would be living there for a whole six months to complete training. No mother and father with me. And I didn't know all that much Chinese yet. Just what my father had managed to teach me in a week. All in all, I was simply scared._

_My father finished talking to the master and then knelt beside me. "You've been accepted," he told me with a small smile. "Do well here, okay? Make your mother and I proud."_

_I nodded dumbly, blinking back tears. Showing weakness was not okay. Ever._

_But my father seemed to realize that something was up. "What's wrong?" he asked me._

_I shook my head. "Nothing, Father."_

"_You're scared," he said._

_I was afraid that he would be mad that I was showing emotion, but I nodded anyway._

_And then, surprisingly, he smiled. "You want to be a great operative like your mother and I, right?"_

_I nodded. "Yes, sir."_

_He nodded and reached out to touch my face. "Katelyn, if you want to walk on water, you have to get out of the boat."_

The reference to Jesus had confused me at first, but I had understood fairly quickly. And the master had ended up naming me as the best student that he had ever had. Everything had turned out okay, all because of my dad's wisdom.

"Maybe you weren't the best role models," I whispered, pretending that they could hear me. "But I know that you loved me. And I loved you too."

And then, I put my hands on my stomach and closed my eyes to go to sleep.


	37. Chapter 37

37.

*Joe*

A trap. It had been a trap. And a clever one, at that. Agent Townsend was no fool. He knew that I cared about Cammie; he knew that I didn't want to hurt her. He had dangled her out in front of me for bait. And I had taken it. So they had caught me.

The first thing that went through my mind was Katelyn. And our daughter that she carried. At least I could take comfort in the fact that I was safe and everything would be okay.

That is, before The CIA team that was transporting me was ambushed.

By members of the Circle.

And then, it was no longer the CIA that had me, but members of the group that I was trying to bring down. Then, I feared for my safety. Because I knew that they wanted to hurt me. They wanted information.

"Hello, Joe." Zach's mom stood in front of me, her hair flaming and her eyes bright.

I said nothing.

"Hmm," she said as she pursed her lips. "Not very good manners, you know."

"And it was such great manners to throw someone into a cell," I said. "Where are we anyways?" They had drugged me to stop me from fighting during the transport.

"You know I can't tell you that," she smiled. "So, how are things going for you, Joe?"

"How do you _think_ they're going?" I spat.

"Yes, I've heard that life has been rough for you lately," she said in a pseudo sympathetic voice. "The CIA being after you because you joined the Circle a long time ago. But you know, Joe, we don't exactly accept resignations."

"I'm aware."

"Walking away wasn't a smart move," she lectured.

"No," I said. "_Joining_ wasn't a very smart move."

She pursed her ruby red lips again. "Hmm. I'm not sure I like your attitude."

"I'm not sure I care."

And then her foot swung out and connected with my jaw. I saw stars dance before my eyes and I cringed on the ground, wishing that I could at least bring my hands up to protect my face. But, I couldn't because they were pinned securely behind my back.

"I've had about all of the rudeness that I can take from you," she said in a dangerous sort of voice. "I've tried to play nice, but I won't anymore, Joe. Where is the journal?"

Matt's journal. That's what they were after. I knew that they thought that it contained information that they wanted, but I had personally read the journal and I knew that it had nothing they'd be interested in. Besides, there's no way that they would be able to crack it without the key. And I was the only one alive that knew it, unless Cammie had found the black boards. And I desperately hoped that she had. I hoped that she knew everything. I hoped that she knew that I wasn't the bad guy.

"What journal?" I asked.

Playing dumb didn't work. She kicked me again in the same spot, bringing more stars up before my eyes. I grit my teeth against the pain. "Don't play stupid, Joe! Matthew Morgan's journal!"

"What did you do to him?" I asked her. "To Matt?"

"Answer mine first."

But I wouldn't. I was never going to let her have that journal. She had killed my best friend. I wasn't going to help her. Not ever. "Forget it."

"I'll go get the boys," she said simply and then left.

The boys? What the heck was that supposed to mean?

I got my answer when three burly guys came in, all of them holding clubs.

Images danced before my eyes.

I heard a voice. "He's had enough for now; I'll try again for info later."

A door slammed.

I heard Katelyn's voice. _"I, Katelyn, take thee, Joe, to be my wedded husband. To have and to hold from this day forward. For better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honor, and cherish; 'til death do us part."_

I heard my own voice, repeating those words. _"I, Joe, take thee, Katelyn, to be my wedded wife. To have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honor, and cherish; 'til death do us part."_

I saw an image of Katelyn in her wedding dress. I remembered the look on her face as she slipped the ring onto my finger.

_I'm pregnant, Joe._

Our daughter.

What was going to happen if I didn't make it?

_Stop thinking like that, Joe. You can do this. You can get out of this. You have to._

I could see Katelyn from back in her Gallagher days, staying after class to talk to me for a few minutes. I saw her angry expression when her parents and Rider had come to take her away. I could practically feel her in my arms.

_I hope they're okay. I really hope that they're both okay._

Some part of me knew that they were. If the Circle had gone after them and managed to catch Katelyn, they would be using that to get me to tell them where Matt's journal was.

Yes, Katelyn was safe.

_For now_.

I consoled myself with the fact that they probably didn't even know that I was married and that my wife was pregnant with our child. They couldn't know. No one really knew except for Zach, Leah, Katelyn, and I. Well, and Jeff.

_They're okay. They're going to be okay._

I wondered what our daughter was going to look like. Would she have Katelyn's eyes? Her smile? Would she have my golden hair? My nose? Would she be a good spy?

I began to feel myself slipping out of consciousness and I struggled to hold on. I hated feeling out of control. But the pull was simply too strong.

_Katelyn, I love you._

And then I slipped away for a while.


	38. Chapter 38

38.

*Katelyn*

"You are _so_ hyper," I told the baby in my stomach, placing a hand on the spot where she had kicked me only moments ago. "Would it kill ya to maybe _not_ kick me for a little bit?" Regardless of all of this, I smiled. Dr. Currie had told me that it was good for the baby to kick. He said that healthy babies kicked at an average of about thirty times per hour.

"You're above average," I frequently told my unborn daughter. And I knew that she was, simply because of who she was going to grow up with. I had already pictured her at Gallagher; the best in her class, naturally.

I stared out the window, then, my thoughts a million miles away. With Joe. Zach had come home that day from the amusement park where Cammie was supposedly supposed to be vulnerable. Turns out, it was a trap and the CIA got Joe. And then, the CIA team was ambushed and the Circle kidnapped him. Zach had held me while I cried, then.

But now, he was out on a mission to rescue Joe. And I knew that he would succeed. He was taking backup, after all, and he had assured me that his plan was good. And I believed him. I knew that he would be able to get Joe out alive.

I had tried things throughout the day to try to make myself forget about it for a while, but nothing worked. I finished two of the pregnancy books that I had been reading on and off, but it didn't help. I'd done laundry and cleaned a little bit of the house and had even tried to take a nap, but nothing had worked. I'd read a book about tailing and another dedicated to vehicular surveillance techniques. I'd watched both _The Bourne Identity _and _Greece_, but nothing could take my mind off of Joe.

I stared out at the stars and sighed. The baby kicked again and I couldn't help but smile as I put a hand over my stomach again. "You're restless, too?"

I received no answer, but I decided that I didn't like the silence. So, I began to sing. "I'm ten miles from town, and I just broke down; spittin' out smoke on the side of the road. I'm out here alone, just tryin' to get home; to tell you I was wrong but you already know. Believe me, I won't stop at nothin'; to see you, so I've started runnin'."

As I sang, I could picture Joe and I dancing on our wedding night.

"All that I'm after is a life full of laughter, as long as I'm laughin' with you. I think that all that still matters is love ever after; after the life we've been through. Cause I know there's no life after you."

I could see his face so clearly; hear the words he'd said as he slid the ring onto my finger.

"Last time we talked, the night that I walked; burns like an iron in the back of my mind. I must've been high to say you and I weren't meant to be and just wastin' my time. Oh, why did I ever doubt you? You know I would die here without you. All that I'm after is a life full of laughter, as long as I'm laughin' with you. I think that all that still matters is love ever after; after the life we've been through. Cause I know there's no life after you."

I couldn't believe how much this song spoke about Joe and I.

"You and I, right or wrong, there's no other one; after this time I spent alone. It's hard to believe that a man with sight could be so blind; thinkin' bout the better times, must've been out of my mind. So I'm runnin' back to you. All that I'm after is a life full of laughter. Without you, God knows what I'd do. Yeah… All that I'm after is a life full of laughter, as long as I'm laughin' with you. I think that all that still matters is love ever after; after the life we've been through. Cause I know there's no life after you."

I finished the song and wiped away the tear that had fallen sometime while I was singing the chorus that last time.

Just then, Zach came through the door, looking absolutely awful. His clothes were wrinkled, his face was scratched in several places, and he looked like he hadn't slept in months, even though he'd only been gone a couple of days.

"Zach!" I said, standing up as fast as I could. "Zach, what happened?"

He seemed distant, and my voice snapped him back to the present. "Katelyn…" he said in a dead sort of voice.

Oh no.

Joe.

"What happened, Zach?" I demanded of him, guiding him to sit down on the couch.

He looked at me. "We got him out."

I knew that couldn't be it. He seemed upset, not entirely happy. "But?"

He sighed and looked away form me. "There was an explosion."

I felt a sense of dread. "An explosion?"

Zach nodded. "I got Joe out and took him to the infirmary at Gallagher."

"He's alive," I breathed a sigh of relief. "He's alive."

Zach nodded. "Doctors are taking care of him as we speak, but Katelyn-"

"Let's go!" I said immediately, standing up. "Let's go right now!"

"Katelyn…"

I headed for my bedroom just so that I could put on a nicer T-shirt. I decided to leave the sweatpants on. I refixed my ponytail quickly and then walked back out into the living room.

Zach hadn't moved.

"Zach," I said. "Come on, let's go."

"Katelyn…"

"What?" I snapped. I was just angry. Why wasn't he moving? I needed to see my husband. He was finally safe…

Zach sighed as he stood up, shoulders slumped in defeat. "Katelyn, the doctors said that he's in a coma. They don't know if he'll wake up. Ever."


	39. Chapter 39

**This story is almost over (two more chapters after this), so I've started a new one about Joe until I can figure out where to take Katelyn and Joe next (after the new book comes out). The story is called Sniper, so please read and review!**

39.

*Katelyn*

"I still have to see him."

"I figured you'd say that," Zach said. "Just don't go in with false hope, okay?"

I nodded. "I need to see him, Zach."

Zach nodded and headed for the door, opening it and gesturing for me to go first. We walked to the car as quickly as my pregnant body would allow and then Zach got in the driver's side to take us to the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women.

"Do I need to start thinking of a cover story?" I asked.

"No," he answered. "Ms. Morgan knows."

"You told her?"

"Yes."

That seemed easier somehow. The truth. "Okay; good. So, can you tell me what happened?"

"Some," Zach said. "I have no idea what went on while they had him captured."

I nodded. "The parts you do know, then."

He took a breath and began to tell me about his trip with Cammie into "the tombs". I listened patiently, only interrupting when I had a question that I didn't think could wait. Finally, he finished his tale and I breathed in twice. "So he was fighting hard."

Zach nodded. "I've never known him to fight softly."

I managed a small smile. "That's true. So true."

"And you were okay the whole time I was gone? No complications?"

I shook my head. "Just a lot of boring hours waiting for news."

He nodded. "I'm sorry that the news you finally got isn't what you deserve."

"He's alive," I whispered, looking out the window at the night sky, lit up with stars. "That's enough."

"If it helps," Zach said timidly. "He's not brain dead. The doctors say that's really good."

"Thanks," I told him. "That does help a little bit." It meant that there was now an actual fighting chance that Joe would wake up. He had to wake up. He just had to.

For the rest of the drive, we were totally silent. I figured that he was probably thinking about Cammie and I was plenty busy thinking about Joe. I picked through all of my memories of him, trying to keep a happy and positive image of him. I saw him on our wedding day, and saw him slide the ring onto my finger. _"With this ring, I thee wed."_ And I had said those same words as I put a ring onto his finger. And we had danced that night in Paris…

"We're here," Zach said, stopping at the guard station to talk to a guard for a few seconds. We were waved through and Zach drove right up to the front door, where Rachel Morgan, my old headmistress, was waiting.

She smiled at me when I stepped out of the car. "It's good to see you again, Katelyn."

"Thank you," I replied as years and years of Culture training kicked into gear. "You as well."

"I'm sorry that it couldn't be under better circumstances," she said and gave me a sad smile. It was then that I remembered that she knew what it was like to lose a husband. She'd been through that. With Joe's best friend.

"I agree," I said.

"Come on inside," she insisted. "It's chilly out here and that's not good for the baby."

I followed her into the mansion and Zach was close behind both of us. As we walked, Rachel said, "I'm sure Zach already told you that he explained everything to me."

I nodded. "Yes; he told me that he did."

"I think it's great," she said. "You and Joe, I mean. He deserves someone to make him happy. He's always seemed broken somewhere deep down inside. I'm glad that someone was finally able to help fix him."

"He fixed me, too," I whispered softly.

We reached the doors to the infirmary then and just as we were about to enter, Abby Cameron came out, her eyes rimmed in red. She looked at me and reached out to touch my shoulder. "You're his wife."

"Yeah," I nodded, wondering if she felt guilty for kissing him earlier in the year.

She gave me a watery smile. "I'm so sorry. He didn't deserve this."

"He's not dead," I snapped.

"I know," she said quickly. "Just… He didn't deserve any of this."

"I know," I replied, my voice breaking.

She headed off down the hall and Rachel gestured for the doors. "Do you want to be alone?"

"That'd be nice," I said.

She nodded and Zach put a hand on my shoulder from behind. "I'll be right here."

I covered his hand with my own. "Thank you."

"Take your time," Rachel said.

I gave her a smile before entering the infirmary. The far bed on the right was the only one that was occupied, so that's where I headed at a slow walk, my hand son my stomach in that nervous habit that they had. In fact, my stomach was actually beginning to cramp and I felt a little nauseous. Stress probably wasn't doing a lot of favors to the baby.

Some parts of his body were wrapped securely, and he looked as if he still had ash on some parts of him. One of his eyes was swollen shut and the other was shut because of his unconscious state. His hair was more disheveled than ever and he looked so…broken.

_Joe_.

And then I felt an almost unmanageable pain in my stomach and I cried out.

"Katelyn!" Zach shouted as he came running into the infirmary, Rachel Morgan close behind him. I clutched at my stomach as I sank slowly to the ground, trying to grit my teeth and fight off the pain.

_What's going on?_

"Oh," I heard Rachel say. "Zach, she's having the baby. I'll get her into the bed; you go and get a doctor."

_The baby. _

_My baby._

"Breathe," Rachel told me. "I'm going to help you."

And she did. She helped me into the bed and she helped me change into a gown. Another pain hit and tears rolled down my cheeks. Rachel held my hand as I squeezed hers to death and she said, "I'll stay here with you."

And then, the doctor came, slipping on a mask. "Let's deliver a baby."

_My baby._


	40. Chapter 40

**Only one more chapter after this! I'm sad to see it end...**

40.

*Katelyn*

The pain just wouldn't abate. Sure, there were times when it wasn't so bad, but it never just stopped completely. Sometimes it was so bad that I just had to cry out in pain. And Rachel Morgan stayed there with me, just like she'd said that she would. I had a feeling that it was because we shared a similar bond – the threat of losing our husbands.

"You're doing good," she told me encouragingly as another contraction came and the pain rippled through me. I grit my teeth and squeezed her hand, hoping that I wasn't hurting her. She'd probably had a lot worse in martial arts classes, though, and she didn't say anything.

"You're close," the doctor said. "It won't be long now. This is a quick labor."

_No, this is a painful labor_, I corrected in my head. Had my mom really gone through all of this when she'd had me?

"The pain goes away," Rachel said as if she'd read my mind. "It hurts now, but it'll be okay in a little bit. It's worth it."

I had never thought that it wouldn't be. Actually, even though I was in a lot of pain, I was pretty excited to get to finally see the daughter that I had awaited for so long. I wondered who she would look more like or if she could possibly be an equal split of both Joe and I.

"Okay," the doctor said. "It's time."

The pain increased almost instantly when he said that and I felt like I could pass out any second. "Let's give her a little more sedative," he told the nurse. "Not too much, though. We don't want her passing out."

_I'm going to pass out from this pain,_ I thought, just as a wave of soothing spread throughout my body. _God bless painkillers. They're like heaven. _I felt like drifting off to sleep. I felt like I was floating on a cloud and that any second, I would be carried up to paradise. It just felt so good…

"Katelyn, stay with me," I could hear the doctor say and I snapped back to the present. "I need you to focus, okay?"

I nodded my head and Rachel gripped my hand a little tighter. "It won't be much longer now, Katelyn. Not much longer."

_I can do this_, I told myself. _I can do this_.

The doctor gave me some orders, which I somehow managed to follow. Rachel helped by giving me encouragement and sometimes rephrasing the doctor's orders when I really didn't understand what he was trying to tell me to do. And even though I'd gotten more painkillers, I still felt quite a bit of pain towards the end.

Somehow, though, I managed to keep myself from screaming. I just kept telling myself that everything was going to be okay. That it was all going to be over very soon. And Rachel told me all of those things too, as she held my hand and used a rag to wipe sweat off of my face.

And then there was screaming.

"Let's get this cord cut."

_It's over_.

"You did it," Rachel told me.

But I couldn't see her face. My eyes were closed and I was breathing with relief, feeling as if a huge weight had left my body and now there wasn't much holding me to the earth.

The screaming had stopped.

"Let's get this bleeding stopped. Here, clean the baby off."

_Bleeding._

_Baby._

"There we go," the doctor was saying. "I think that should do it for a while."

A cool rag touched my face again and Rachel's voice said, "Katelyn?"

My eyes flew open and I saw her green ones looking down at me. She smiled brightly and said, "You did it, Katelyn. Do you want to meet your daughter now?"

_My daughter_. Unable to speak, I nodded.

The nurse came forward then, holding a little bundle of white blankets. She smiled at me and held it out. "Here you go. Congratulations."

I don't know how my arms did it, but suddenly, the little bundle was held close to my chest and I was looking down at my daughter. I can't even describe to you how I felt in that moment, because I was unsure myself. I felt so many emotions that tears streamed down my face. Never before had I seen something so beautiful.

She was tinier than I had pictured, even though I knew that all babies were little. And everything about her just seemed so perfect. I was almost afraid that I was going to break her, even though I wasn't holding her all that tightly.

"Oh," Rachel breathed from beside me. "She's so beautiful."

"She is," I agreed in a whisper. "And so tiny."

Rachel chuckled softly under her breath. "That's what I was thinking the first time that I ever held Cammie."

I wondered what color her eyes were. But, they were closed in a peaceful sort of sleep and I wasn't about to disturb that. She looked like an angel there in my arms, wrapped in a blanket. I couldn't believe that this tiny, perfect thing belonged to me. That I was responsible for her.

That I was a mother.

If you had told me a year before that I was going to be having a child soon, I would have called you crazy. But there I was, holding my newborn daughter.

"What's her name?" Rachel asked me.

I didn't know. I had wanted to wait to pick out a name for a time when Joe was with me. It hadn't felt quite right, trying to think of a name for our baby when Joe wasn't there. And even though a name would sometimes pass through my head, nothing had ever really stuck there. But suddenly, the words were out of my mouth. "Josephine," I said. "Josephine Catherine Solomon."

"That's beautiful," Rachel said. "Josephine Catherine Solomon."

And it was beautiful, I decided.

It was perfect.


	41. Chapter 41

**Last Chapter! Don't forget to read my new story, Sniper. And I'll write another sequel when the new book comes out.**

41.

*Katelyn*

"Excuse me?"

I turned away from the window, cradling Josephine in my arms. It had been a week, but the novelty of holding her still hadn't worn off.

The person that had spoken was a girl that didn't seem to be much younger than me. She had straight brown hair and pale green eyes and she wore a timid smile with her Gallagher Academy uniform.

Cammie Morgan.

"Hi," I said, giving her a smile.

She smiled at the bundle in my arms the way that I think everyone looks at newborn babies. "She's adorable," Cammie said. "What's her name?"

"Josephine," I replied.

"She's so beautiful."

"Thank you."

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry," she said softly, her expression turning solemn again.

"Sorry for what?" I asked, readjusting my grip on Josie ever so slightly.

She looked ashamed and she looked down at her shoes. "For ever thinking that Mr. Solomon was guilty. If I hadn't-"

"Don't blame yourself, Cammie," I said quickly. "There's no sense in that. It's not your fault."

She gave me a small smile. "Thank you. My mom said that you were really nice."

I smiled. "Tell her thank you for the praise."

She smiled in reply. "I will. And I remember you, you know. You went to Gallagher, too. You're good."

"Thanks. I hear you're pretty good too."

She smiled before turning and walking away.

*Break*

"That name's perfect!" Alicia declared.

"Absolutely!" Laura agreed. "I mean, Josephine Catherine Solomon. So cute!"

Leah looked down at Josie cradled in her arms. "She looks a lot like you, Kay."

"She has his eyes," I said softly.

"I still can't believe that you married Joe freaking Solomon!" Alicia declared. I'd spent about an hour and a half giving them the short version of the story of my life since I'd been taken from Gallagher. Alicia and Laura had gasped in shock when they heard it all.

"So lucky!" Laura agreed and then seemed to realize what she'd said. "I mean… I didn't mean to say… I'm sorry…"

"Don't worry about it," I said softly, looking down at the blue covers on the bed. "It's going to be okay."

"You're right," Leah said suddenly. "She does have Mr. Solomon's eyes."

I glanced over to see that Josie was awake, waving her little arms around in the air. I smiled. "Yeah, she does."

"Is it hard?" Alicia asked.

"Does she cry all of the time?" Laura chimed in.

I laughed. "It's only been a week, guys. I can't really say that it's been hard yet."

Josie began to cry and Leah offered her up to me immediately. I took her in my arms and almost instantly, her cries stopped.

"You're an amazing mother." Alicia noted.

"Most definitely," Laura agreed.

"There was no doubt that you would be," Leah grinned at me.

I smiled at her. "Thanks."

Josie moved in my arms and the nurse came in with an already prepared bottle. I took it and expertly began to feed her while my ex-roommates and still-best friends watched with smiles on their faces.

*Break*

"She's beautiful," Zach commented.

"Thank you," I replied.

"She has his eyes."

"Yes," I said softly. "She does."

He sighed. "Any word on Joe?"

"Still in a coma," I replied.

He nodded slowly. "Do you know what you're going to do? About places to live right now, I mean."

"I'll probably take Josie back to the safe house," I responded. "I don't really know where else I would go. We'll come down to see Joe a couple of times a week and when he wakes up…"

"I'll get my old room ready for her," he said. "I'll get the crib set up and everything."

"Thank you," I replied. "And you're always welcome there, you know."

He smiled at me. "Thanks, Kay."

"Anytime, little brother," I said. "Anytime."

*Break*

I walked into the infirmary, carrying Josie right along with me. The warmth of her small little body somehow gave me the strength that I needed to cross the room and go to Joe's bed.

The swelling on his eye had gone down quite a bit and all of the ash was now gone from his skin. Someone had cut his hair a little bit, but it was still quite messy. An IV was hooked up to his arm and parts of him were still bandaged. He was definitely going to have scars.

I sat down on his bedside and laid Josie beside him. "This is your daughter, Joe. Our daughter. Josephine Catherine Solomon."

A tear escaped form my eye and I could feel it run down my cheek and then down over my jaw and onto my neck. I reached up to wipe it away. "She's so beautiful, Joe. She looks like me, I guess, but she has your eyes. They're beautiful. I really wish…" I took a shaky breath. "I really wish that you could see her."

And I did wish that, more than anything. "I wish you had been there to see her right after she was born. I wish that we could have talked about names together. Although I don't think you should have a problem with her being named after you. Josephine is the feminine form of Joe, after all. And her middle name is Catherine because it's kind of similar to Katelyn…"

I had to quit talking, then. I could barely breathe past the tightness in my throat. Steady tears streamed down my face, leaving their trails behind them.

Instead, I reached out and held Joe's hand, touching Josephine with the other. When I could finally speak, I said, "It's going to be okay, Joe; I know it is. We're going to make it through this. And I won't give up on you. Ever. I'll wait as long as it takes to have you back again. I love you so much."

And if I didn't know any better, I would have sworn that his hand moved ever so slightly in mine.


	42. Chapter 42

Hey, everybody! I've started my new sequel since the new book came out! It's called _Right Here Waiting_, so check it out!


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